Van Fleet Street Design

2011-11-03T16:31:00.000-05:00


The Elder Awaits His Time

"Our elders play a very important place in our lives. They are the keepers of our traditions, values, language and history. We must show respect to them at all times. Elders are our guides to our future. They are leaders in our community, role models for our children, and play a very important part in their development. The elders are the storytellers of our history; it is through their stories that a lesson is to be learned. They speak with honor and with a great deal of pride. Elders are our teachers. They teach us to be proud and help us to preserve our language.
Their expertise is of vital importance to us. They take us on nature walks, show and tell us where people (our ancestors) started from, and the directions they have traveled. They teach us to respect Mother Earth, nature, and to be in harmony with both. They teach us of the herbs and teas that cure certain ills. We must also be aware of their upbringing and have respect for that. They teach us the survival skills. They shape our way of thinking, socializing, and to view our ever-changing world. That is why we must always show respect towards them.
Diversity needs to be addressed, maintained, and respected. The elders are needed to fulfill the role of teachers of the culture, language, and traditions, and must be included in teaching their culture to the next generation." Four Winds Curriculum

2011-10-26T11:50:00.002-05:00

Native American Eastern Blanket Dancers

Life changes, it's the only thing that's constant. The way in which we express ourselves changes also. Whether in written word, art, music whatever your genre, I think we all can agree that our expressions change as we do.

This post is about the change in subject matter in my art. I hope you enjoy the new direction my life and art has taken. I will post a piece and tell you about the piece.

The Eastern blanket dance is one of the oldest and most traditional dances done by the women of the east coast, north and southeast. In pre-contact times, it was a ceremonial dance, and has only in the last century been a competition.

For females of different ages, the dance had different meanings and was performed differently. For instance, teens and young women start the dance usually with the blanket wrapped around their backs and their arms stretched out ahead of them; this does symbolize their coming of age and the courtship of a partner. Also, these young women were showing off their blankets to the onlookers; showing that they had learned the skills of a blanket maker, passing through a stage of life. Older women start off with the blanket semi-open, to show they are or have been courted and have passed through certain stages and experiences of life, such as marriage and childirth.

Golden agers should never start the dance with the blanket closed in front of them, and should also not spin the blanket around their heads, as they are revered and respected for their wisdom and knowledge of their accomplishments as elders, matriarchs and tenders of the home and family.

Some powwow regalia consists of either buckskin or cloth (representing different time periods), can be either a dress or a top and skirt, short traditional fringe, moccasins and leggings are optional. Bead work is now the contemporary and, I might add, popular way to adorn the outfit. When judging the category, I would say to look for grace and showmanship, showing off of the blanket, originality and, of course, graceful footwork.
For alot of people new to attending powwows on the east coast, you will see this dance done at a lot of events. It is not, however, by any definition, a "new" dance; perhaps "new" to those who are new to attending powwows on the east coast!! But, the women have always done this dance, and a lot of others that haven't made their way to "mainstream" celebrations yet.

Let me know your thoughts about this.

Origins

2010-04-04T12:36:00.002-05:00

I called this post "Origins" because it will list origins of some sayings that we use, even today. The following was sent to me by a relative:

"They used to use urine to tan animal skins, so families used to all pee in a pot, then once a day it was taken and sold to the tannery.......if you had to do this to survive you were "Piss Poor" But worse than that were the really poor folk who couldn't even afford to buy a pot......they "didn't have a pot to piss in" were the lowest of the low.

The next time you are washing your hands and complain because the water temperature isn't just how you like it, think about how things used to be.

Here are some facts about the 1500s:
Most people got married in June because they took their yearly bath in May, and they still smelled pretty good by June.. However, since they were starting to smell . .. . brides carried a bouquet of flowers to hide the body odor. Hence the custom today of carrying a bouquet when getting married.

Baths consisted of a big tub filled with hot water. The man of the house had the privilege of the nice clean water, then all the other sons and men, then the women and finally the children. Last of all the babies. By then the water was so dirty you could actually lose someone in it. Hence the saying, "Don't throw the baby out with the bath water!"

Houses had thatched roofs-thick straw-piled high, with no wood underneath. It was the only place for animals to get warm, so all the cats and other small animals (mice, bugs) lived in the roof. When it rained it became slippery and sometimes the animals would slip and fall off the roof. Hence the saying "It's raining cats and dogs."There was nothing to stop things from falling into the house. This posed a real problem in the bedroom where bugs and other droppings could mess up your nice clean bed. Hence, a bed with big posts and a sheet hung over the top afforded some protection. That's how canopy beds came into existence.

The floor was dirt. Only the wealthy had something other than dirt. Hence the saying, "Dirt poor." The wealthy had slate floors that would get slippery in the winter when wet, so they spread thresh (straw) on floor to help keep their footing. As the winter wore on, they added more thresh until, when you opened the door, it would all start slipping outside. A piece of wood was placed in the entrance-way. Hence: "a thresh hold".(Getting quite an education, aren't you?)

In those old days, they cooked in the kitchen with a big kettle that always hung over the fire.. Every day they lit the fire and added things to the pot. They ate mostly vegetables and did not get much meat. They would eat the stew for dinner, leaving leftovers in the pot to get cold overnight and then start over the next day. Sometimes stew had food in it that had been there for quite a while.. Hence the rhyme: 'Peas porridge hot, peas porridge cold, peas porridge in the pot nine days old.'
Sometimes they could obtain pork, which made them feel quite special. When visitors came over, they would hang up their bacon to show off. It was a sign of wealth that a man could, "bring home the bacon." They would cut off a little to share with guests and would all sit around and chew the fat..
Those with money had plates made of pewter. Food with high acid content caused some of the lead to leach onto the food, causing lead poisoning death. This happened most often with tomatoes, so for the next 400 years or so, tomatoes were considered poisonous..

Bread was divided according to status. Workers got the burnt bottom of the loaf, the family got the middle, and guests got the top, or the "upper crust."

Lead cups were used to drink ale or whiskey. The combination would sometimes knock the imbibers out for a couple of days. Someone walking along the road would take them for dead and prepare them for burial. They were laid out on the kitchen table for a couple of days and the family would gather around and eat and drink and wait and see if they would wake up. Hence the custom of "holding a wake"..

England is old and small and the local folks started running out of places to bury people. So they would dig up coffins and would take the bones to a bone-house, and reuse the grave. When reopening these coffins, 1 out of 25 coffins were found to have scratch marks on the inside and they realized they had been burying people alive. So they would tie a string on the wrist of the corpse, lead it through the coffin and up through the ground and tie it to a bell. Someone would have to sit out in the graveyard all night (the graveyard shift.) to listen for the bell; thus,someone could be, "saved by the bell" or was considered a "dead ringer"...."

And that's the truth...Now, whoever said History was boring ! ! !

2010-03-26T13:25:00.000-05:00

Just wanted to give an update on the newest work. As of yet I'm not bored with the digital painting. As matter of fact I am thrilled about the reactions my work is getting. These two pieces were completed yesterday and today respectively, and more is to come. If you are interested in purchasing any of these pieces, please to go the sidebar and look for the orange Etsy bubble, it is a direct link to my shop there!

"Two Feathers" by Brett Ward

"Moon, Dream Catcher and Wolf" by Brett Ward

I had decided to add another that I have completed this week:

"Weather or Not" by Brett Ward

Another Direction

2010-03-21T12:30:00.006-05:00

Well folks, it looks like I am taking yet another turn on my artistic path. I have discovered that photography probably isn't what I need to be doing at this time due to, well incapacitation for one and mostly the biggest reason. So, I have found the world of purely digital art.

I'm fascinated by and with this artform! I use a program called GIMP, GIMP is the GNU Image Manipulation Program that works very similarly to Photo Shop. (As matter of fact, if you have PhotoShop and want a newer program, your PS brushes will work just fine in GIMP.)
Now, don't ask me what GNU means, I might be able to muddle through the program, but some things I just can't figure out. AND some things are better left alone, according to my brain. So, I went to Wikipedia and copied the definition of GIMP for you...

"GIMP (the GNU Image Manipulation Program) is a free software, raster grapics editor. It is primarily employed as an image retouching and editing tool. In addition to offering freeform drawing, GIMP can accomplish essential image workflow steps such as resizing, editing, and cropping photos, combining multiple images, and converting between different image formats. A raster graphics editor is a computer program that allows users to paint and edit pictures interactively on the computer screen and save them in formats such as JPEG, PNG, GIF and TIFF." sheesh I hardly understand all of this myself. I didn't find a usable definition of GNU that a layperson would understand...sorry if you are offended by this, but I didn't understand it.

The brushes are just images that will speed up your ability to create crisp new artwork. It can also allow you to put insert things into your art that you might not have the ability to draw. That's the cool part. Now for the great part of GIMP...Guess what? It's free! (I'll wait for you to catch your breath) Ready? Ok, so you know, PhotoShop is VERY expensive, I have seen it selling for 169.00 or more on some sites, geeez Louise can you afford that?? I know I can't. In these trying economic times, I can hardly afford anything, especially since I am unable to work. Well anyway, I have been using this program for about two years now, and am just now figuring out all of the things it can do. Now for the not-so-great part, GIMP, like any other photo manipulation program and art program can be a bit cumbersome if you're new to the digital world. However, I have taught myself everything I know about this program, and I am a "boomer".

"Two Red Moons" digitally created by me.

And now, the ugly part, well not ugly about GIMP but ugly about digital art vs. painting with a real brush on canvas/paper...the art community...it's really not accepted in the "art community", as real art. For this reason hesitate telling people that some of my pieces of art are created digitally (how long did it take for photographers to be taken seriously as artists?) Some artists prefer to utilize the computer to create their art, others prefer to use wax, and others still prefer to use pastels,chalks, acrylic paint or mediums that I certainly haven't tried. Understand that I have had my own reservations about digital art in the past, especially when I found out about the brushes that can be downloaded. But you know, creating digitally is not as easy as you may think.

"Adobe and Trowel" digital painting using no downloaded brushes, by me.

The "FREE" brushes can be found on http://deviantart.com There are a number of people who take the time to make these brushes and offer them to others to use. If you go to deviantart, type in the search bar, "free gimp brushes" and you'll find MANY pages offering them to you. There are a number of other sites you can download the brushes from, but I have found deviantart to be reliable and have no hidden viruses, etc.

So my suggestion to you is this, go to GIMP.org, download the free software, go to deviantart.com and download some brushes and see what you can come up with. Maybe it will change your mind about digital art like it did mine.

To see more of my work, please go to vanfleetstreetdesign.etsy.com
Until next time...

"Rust" A New Piece in My Shop

2010-03-09T13:11:00.004-06:00

"Rust" is a new photographic piece in my etsy.com shop. This piece was taken months ago, but sine my latest debilitating illness has me imprisoned in my bed, I have had to get pretty creative to keep my interest and not just lie here and cry. Cry over the pain, cry over the deterioration of my body, cry over my partner having to work to support me in my healthcare, my medicines, cry over the decisions that we have to make every day that others take for granted...food over meds or vice versa. I cry over seeing my partner just stuffing her worry down in order to carry on, cry over bills coming in that we cannot pay, cry over not being able to go places with my family, cry over not having any income to help financially, cry over not having any sales, cry over and over and over, over the same things day in and day out.

So, in lieu of all of that, I have rediscovered my love of the lens. It is both a gift and a curse, just like painting. Now that I have that interest back and want to pursue it, there are two problems. I want a more expensive camera, not too expensive, a Nikon D50 will do for now, just a used one... uh huh, in my dreams. Some of you might be able to relate to this, as we can't even keep up with our monthly bills, let alone buy a toy for me. AND I can't get around to be able to take the photographs. I hate being poor, I hate being in constant pain, I hate being disabled. I haven't been able to work for 2 years due to a myriad of health problems, I never wanted my life to get like this, who does?

A friend laughingly said that I might be the next Frida Kahlo...you know, having a disabling back issue and being in bed. Another said I should install a mirror on the ceiling to be able to do my own portraiture! I love that my friends feel comfortable with me to joke and make me laugh, I sure do need it!! AND I laughed right along with them. Where would we be without humor? hmmmm, dead? I draw skeletons with great sense of humor! Well, just so you and my friends know, I am not intending to being another Frida, I don't have the connections for that! But who knows, maybe some of my best work will come at this time...

What I have been doing, as I stated in the previous post, is pulling out photography that I had stored away and "playing with them" in my computer programs. I didn't do much with this photograph, just a few tweaks here and there. It has turned out to be one of my favorites.

I named this piece "Rust" to symbolically depict the orange brown powder that eats away the most beautiful of iron, if there is nothing put in place to protect it. I had no protection against my genes, against illnesses that eat away at me. The illnesses eat away at me, at my mind, my body, my sense of humor, my ability to think, to remember...until I become someone I don't know any more. My rust, my tears eat me up.

Altered Photography

2010-03-05T17:06:00.009-06:00

So, I decided while lying flat on my back due to a sacroilliac sprain, that I would take a look at my photography stock and see what new and different things I could do with them. First, I colored them on my computer program and the photo to the left is what I got. I continued doing that in several different colors.

The next creative thing I did was to take the basic image a step further in the example above, combining two photographs,playing with the shape of the photograph and and finishing it off with
some digital drawing.

Lastly, a little tweak here and little tweak there and
the photo to the right is my finished product.

I've enjoyed playing with these pieces and will bring more to you as I go along...actually I have done a lot of them so far, you will have to either wait or go to http://vanfleetstreetdesign.etsy.com to see them and... maybe purchase one, or two, or all of them!

Just a Little Something

2010-03-04T18:31:00.001-06:00

My partner and I love laughing together and I especially take great pride in giving the gift of laughter. But today took the cake!

Finding the right cat litter hasn't been an easy feat. We don't like the chemical laden litters found in most stores, so we switched to a more "earth friendly" natural component, we use corn litter or wheat litter now.

Well, we also switched our cat and dog to an all protein diet due to the cat getting sick when she ate, and the dog scratching all of the time (no fleas, no ticks). We found the right food! But since the dog snacks on what she finds in the litter box, we have to remedy that again.

So, yesterday my partner brought home the litter from the store and sat it on the kitchen table. This morning I sat at the table and saw the litter. I said,"we're going to have to take that litter back and get something else." Puzzled by my statement, my partner looked at the litter and realized it is made of corn. I said, "I'll just tell the store clerk that our dog is allergic to corn."

Needless to say, a guffaw ensued! I love laughter!

Deal or No Deal

2010-02-26T13:56:00.005-06:00

I have been using a business called iprintfromhome.com for a couple of years now to make prints of my art. I have never been dissatisfied with the results of their work. I am now what they call an "Ambassador" spreading the info to friends, business associates and acquaitences about their business and the great work they do.

If you sign up for a free account with them (it takes about 30 seconds or less to do this), and use me as the referral person, I will receive credit on my account.

So, if you are an artist or photographer, and are looking for a reputable business to make your photographic prints or giclee prints to sell, look no further. Go to http://iprintfromhome.com and sign up for that account today! If you don't want to use this link, you can look to the left column next to this article, click on the iprintfromhome logo and it will send you there.

Hurry, do it now before you forget!!!

and thanks!
Brett Ward

A New "Reworked" Piece

2010-02-25T09:59:00.002-06:00

This will be a series of photographs I took in various places around the United States over the course of time.l The photographs were taken, developed, edited and altered by me.

I will post a photograph every few days for your viewing until the series is done. Please leave feedback as I am looking at listing these in my Etsy.com shop for purchase.

The first photo called "210" was taken in Philadelphia. It was an abandoned building that caught my eye in passing.

Trees

2010-02-22T00:52:00.006-06:00

Some of my faithful readers may have been wondering where I’ve been and others may not. Well I do admit I have been remiss in keeping up with this blog. Many things have happened over the course of time during which I was gone. I won’t bore you, but this is a great opportunity to show you what I have been up to artistically!

Never mind all of the problems, economy, illnesses and such. Let’s talk art.

The pieces below are just a sample of the things I’ve been doing during my absence. Titled, “Trees in the Headlights” these are digital pieces that I have drawn and painted on the computer. I made them to resemble pastels, because I miss using pastels so much. Due to asthma, I can no longer use the chalky wonders.

The trees paintings were inspired by an artist whom I am acquainted with through Worldwide Women’s Art Organization. Sharon K. Schubert is a fantastic painter, collage artist and digital artist. If you have the time, check out her work at her website! redladyart.com

These paintings can be found in my Etsy.com shop. vanfleetstreetdesign.etsy.com

Photographers Who Don't Think They Are

2009-06-22T10:46:00.009-05:00

Over the next several days I am going to introduce to you, a few artists who have other "artistic" interests on the side. These artists don't call themselves photographers, but their work says differently. These are, in my humble opinion, some awesome shots!

Chauncey
The first "photographer" that I would like to introduce to you is "Chauncey" or Eileen. I have had the pleasure of becoming friends with Chauncey through a group on Etsy.com for which she is now one of the fearless leaders. Her photography is breathtaking.

The first pieces I saw of hers were of the Penitentiary in Pennsylvania and I was hooked on her work. Clean, fresh, deep and thoughtful, her work inspires me to create. Her use of depth and spacial reasoning, the way in which she uses the full space of her lens, the focal points of her pieces pull you into the the subject matter, wondering. Wondering not about the purpose of the piece, but of the energy, of the structure, of the beauty.

In all, I wish this Philadelphia photographer would frame em up and sell them! Maybe you can encourage her to do that! Please leave words of encouragement for this artist in the comments section for this article.

Here are some examples of her work:

"Ain't That Purdy!" with Loco Mama

2009-06-12T21:32:00.000-05:00

2009-06-09T13:30:00.004-05:00

I took this photograph a few years ago at the Kansas City Zoo of all places, on our way to Tucson, Az. We traveled with a friend of my fiancee's and her granddaughter, taking with us, our then 8 year old son.

I found this an odd place to have a statue of Hotei (or as some call him "Buddha", but never-the-less, found it a surprising inspiration.

During our visit to the KC Zoo, I also stumbled upon some statues of horses made from pieces of what looked like, drift wood. Have any of y0u seen this truly beautiful work?

The artist has captured the essence of these glorious animals and I am totally blown away by this!

Just thought I would give a little glimpse into some of the things that inspire me that are not COLOR, or southwestern!

Worless Wednesday

2009-05-06T13:13:00.002-05:00

...shaking my head at this one.

Wedding Bell Stress

2009-05-04T08:16:00.003-05:00

Well, we are making preparations for our wedding. If any of you have been through this, it's a wonder weddings happen at all, isn't it? The stress builds and you get snippy with each other, I have heard of some couples getting so angry with each other that they have come close to calling it all off. The stress of choosing wedding invitations, colors, theme, dresses, tux, food, cake, location of the ceremony, reception location...omg it's 5 months away and we still haven't gotten anything settled!! But just yesterday....

I thought MAYBE we would be able to settle on color theme this weekend, well we did it! I thought MAYBE we would settle on the invitations this weekend, we have the design, but not the printer...YET. I thought MAYBE we would be able to settle on a tux design and color...we did it, but haven't ventured out of the house to find one...YET.

We do know where the reception will be...if they approve it, but we don't know where the actual ceremony location is...YET. Sara awakened at 4 am this morning worried about food for the reception and what exactly are we going to have...she finally decided at 5am...it will be a long day today for her at work.

Sara still hasn't decided on a dress. She thought she found one yesterday online, but then we read an article about getting wedding dresses online and especially from China and she decided against that. So she's starting from square one again...5 months away from the wedding...

At least we're both in the process of losing weight, good or bad for dress and tux sizes, I know...but it feels good doing it. After seeing our photos in the newspaper and the realization of just how out of shape we really are, all things went into motion to correct that.

So, that's where we are at this point in the process. The stress level is building, and we'll be doing the preparations until we are bald from pulling all of our hair out. Bald wedding pictures, not a pretty thought.

Wordless Wednesday

2009-04-22T10:17:00.002-05:00

Really, what CAN you say?

Oh the Pain and Frustration!

2009-04-21T12:27:00.004-05:00

This photograph does not do this piece justice. No matter how I have positioned this nicho, the photograph either comes out blurry or there are reflections in the glass on the door.

For my birthday, my partner bought a photographing kit which included two lights, a photographing tent, 4 backgrounds...all the things you think would help in photographing this piece...NOT. I am to the point of frustration. The kit included an all white photo tent and I have tried black background, white background, grey background, blue background...more light, less light, so many positions of lighting that Karma Sutra should offer me a book contract. Still...nothing worth posting online.

AND I am not going to give up. This is my 100th photo of this piece and if I have to take 200 photos to get one that works, I will do that.

Wish me luck!

Project Wonderful

2009-04-12T14:07:00.003-05:00

We're all about making online advertising more profitable and easier for everyone involved! Project Wonderful is an online advertising broker with an innovative model that brings fairness, transparency, and profitability to the advertising process.

Hey, it's free! Yes, that's what I said! The initial cost of setup is ZERO and you get paid on top of that to have ProjectWonderful.com users advertise on your blog! And, you get to accept or decline the advertisers.

In the column next to this post, you will see four empty boxes and Project Wonderful written in blue. At this point since I am a new publisher of advertisers, it costs nothing to place an ad here. As this blog grows in popularity and the word gets out that I am accepting advertisers through Project Wonderful, you will have to pay to get into the advertising blocks.

Here's what ProjectWonderful says:

"Online advertising kind of sucks.

We'll be the first to admit it.

Fraud is rampant. Publishers and advertisers alike don't have a lot of control over which ads show up where. Ad networks don't tell you what their take is. Nobody is sure if they're getting a good deal.

Project Wonderful changes all that.

Project Wonderful reinvents online advertising. We've made click fraud impossible. We give advertisers the power to choose what sites their ads appear on - and publishers the freedom to choose what ads show up on their sites. We don't have absurdly high minimum-payout levels. We've made the entire online advertising experience transparent, trustworthy, and fair - as well as more profitable, for everyone involved! It's why our slogan is "Everybody wins."

Find out more.

The way we do advertising is different from what you might be familiar with, if you're coming from networks like Google AdSense. Project Wonderful uses an auction to get things done, but one where anyone can be the high bidder at any time. We call it the Infinite Auction. To find out more, go to http://www.projectwonderful.com

Well, what are you waiting for?

Wordless Wednesday

2009-04-08T11:42:00.004-05:00

I guess she didn't check the mirror before she left the house!

The Fool

2009-03-30T07:48:00.005-05:00

Ok, so after years and years of teasing, jokes, and being the brunt of all things foolish, I am letting you all know that I am an April Fools baby. Yep, April 1st is my birthday. I know, I know....you can't say anything that's not been said before...you can try, but you will probably be met with my eyes rolling and a smirk.

Some history of April Fools Day:

It is said that April Fools Day started in the 1500's when the Gregorian calendar replaced the Julian calendar. When we used the Julian calendar, April Fools Day was considered the New Year and thus celebrated as such. When we were mandated to stop using that calendar and adopt the Gregorian, people forgot about the change of the New Year day and celebrated it still on April 1. Those people were teased and called, "April Fools".

In Wikipedia, it states this:

"Iranians play jokes on each other on the 13th day of the Persian new year (Noro uz), which falls on April 1 or April 2. This day, celebrated as far back as 536 BC, is called Sizdah Bedar and is the oldest prank-tradition in the world still alive today; this fact has led many to believe that April Fools' Day has its origins in this tradition."

Some jokes played on the public as written in Wikipedia:

"Left Handed Whoppers: In 1998, Burger King ran an ad in USA Today, saying that people could get a Whopper for left-handed people whose condiments were designed to drip out of the right side.^[7] Not only did customers order the new burgers, but some specifically requested the "old", right-handed burger.
Taco Liberty Bell: In 1996, Taco Bell took out a full-page advertisement in The New York Times announcing that they had purchased the Liberty Bell to "reduce the country's debt" and renamed it the 'Taco Liberty Bell.'"

Dead fairy hoax: In 2007, an illusion designer for magicians posted on his website some images illustrating the corpse of an unknown eight-inch creation, which was claimed to be the mummified remains of a fairy. He later sold the fairy on eBay for £280.

In 1980, the BBC reported a proposed change to the famous clock tower known as Big Ben. The reporters stated that the clock would go digital.
Canine Repellent Alloy Protection (CRAP)- a means of discouraging dogs from urinating on car wheels. (2008)

Tower of Pisa: The Dutch television news reported once in the 1950s that the Tower of Pisa had fallen over. Many shocked people contacted the station.

An April fool in Denmark, regarding Copenhagen's new subway. Apparently, one of her cars accidently had surfaced on the square in front of the town hall. In reality, it was a retired subway car from the subway of Stockholm cut obliquely, with the front end placed onto the tiling and loose tiles scattered around it.

What kind of April Fools jokes have you pulled on people?

A Feature or Two?

2009-03-26T11:54:00.005-05:00

This morning I awakened, got out of bed, made coffee, fed the dog, and then groggily shuffled to the computer, and turned it on. I could have sworn when I went to bed I had left it on, but I quickly dismissed that thinking maybe my partner turned it off after I went to bed, or worse case scenario…our 11 year old son is getting up in the middle of the night and using the computer again. I hope not.

Anyway, let me give you a little background information before I get into the meat of this article. I just read an article in *Art Calendar Magazine about (which by the way has been one of the best 30 bucks I have ever spent on a subscription) “Pitching Your Artwork to Blogs”. I thought, “what an interesting concept, I hadn’t thought about pitching my work to the many blogs I come upon and read and eventually follow.” hmmmmm…

In this article, Molly Crabapple gives clear and concise steps to follow to get your work into the “blogosphere” as she calls it. Her suggestion is to follow (and or adapt) this 9 Step pitching etiquette process, but starts the article with reasons to pitch to blogs in the first place.

She mentions a few reasons like, “Blogs are Easy to Get Into” stating that the blogosphere is HUGE and therefore makes better opportunities for artists to get featured. She mentions that blogs “update all of the time” so current information can always be available. Crabapple also states that “blogs are easy to contact and the effects are direct”. On blogs you are only a click away from seeing the artist’s latest work.

I will list some of the steps which Crabapple details in her article:

“Step One- Research,research, research…look for the appropriate blogs for you.

Step Two- Locate the writer

Step Three- Read the blogs

Step Four- Craft your pitch

Step Five- Package your images correctly

Step Six- Feed the buzz

Step Seven- Prepare for negative feedback

Step Eight…”

All I am going to say is, read the article…Molly Crabapple has some interesting ideas waiting for you!

Now to finish my story… I went to my email this morning and low and behold there was an email informing me that one of my nichos, the one shown in the photograph below is being featured at this very moment at http://cossedesigns.tumblr.com . The feature shows my nicho (below), a little about what a nicho is, and my shop name.

I also received another email from yet another blogger who featured a different piece of mine yesterday! http://www.1000markets.com/users/bellajewels/blog_posts (below) I am so thrilled about these features, as my work hasn’t been featured in quite some time!

Now I’m thinking…hmmmmm, maybe I should get started pitching…maybe I might win the big one!

*If you would like to view the article in its entirety, Art Calendar Magazine is for sale at your local bookstores. You can subscribe to this magazine at http://www.artcalendar.com .

Touched

2009-03-24T11:37:00.003-05:00

I’ve always struggled the saying, “be grateful for what you have” or “there’s always someone who has it worse than you”. It seems so discounting of the feelings at hand and I have felt discounted when people have said that to me. We ALL have pain in some way, shape or form whether we choose to acknowledge it or not, it’s there.

I wrote a blog post some time ago, wherein I talked about artists losing their muse. It happens, maybe not to you, but it happens to me quite a lot. In that blog post I talked about a friend who had lost her muse and eventually lost her life by being murdered. She lost herself first to alcohol and in the end someone took what was left.

Our Muse is a gift. She may be with you for a long time, or be there one day and gone the next. I don’t mean to sound morbid or take you on a journey that you don’t want to go on, but think about this. If you are stuck in the “poor me’s” and feeling down and depressed about your life, finances, loss of muse, etc., you will be shown what you need to see, when you need to see it.

I posted the blog post I mentioned above on my 1000Markets.com blog yesterday because something told me to do it. Call it instinct or whatever you want, but I followed my gut. You can read it at http://vanfleetstreetdesign.1000markets.com or go to older posts on this blog and you will find, “Muse Muse Where Art Thou?"

Anyway, today I awakened to read a response that made me come to a screeching halt in my tracks. The author of the response and I are involved in the Day of the Dead Market on 1000Markets.com as fellow merchants. We each have a shop there and have become part of the Day of the Dead circle on the site. http://eclecticdesigns.1000markets.com is her shop’s address on that site. I would like to feature her response here as it was a huge reminder that I am not the only person on this earth with pain and a story that needs to be heard.

“Hi Brett,

As I read your poem, then paragraphs and as the tears started to flow...I felt you had visited with my spirit and had a convo~that I didn’t know about.

11 months ago I was in a car accident...left me in a coma for 2 weeks. I died twice and finally after 18 days..woke up... had no idea what happened …my kids were telling me and when I went to hug my daughter my right arm wouldn’t move..paralyzed shoulder down to the finger tips.....besides being a lil fuzzy from the pain meds and memory loss at that time as well as eye damage and the discovery of a brain aneurism..... I cried continuously because my muse was torn from me and left discarded somewhere... she will never return...I mourn her often.

At 52 having to begin anew in everything from learning basic hygiene with one hand to eating..I cant cut my food...I am always in need now of someone to assist me, whereas before I would walk into my studio ...play music..light my candles and offerings...now I was faced with being crippled and angry with my God...if he wanted an arm..why the right.....I could not do mahon with my left...and now I had to.

So after a few weeks of anger, denial,,then acceptance of self...I finally walked back into my studio... there laid my beads as I left them..clay for my skulls dried up..my own home felt violated..I felt I would never sing again with my inner voice...

It is the past 2 months that I have returned to the studio and reclaimed it as mine... therapy has helped the fingers on my right hand greatly, I have movement and can finally curl wire using my left hand…

I believe my muse found me on a cold snowy night...I live on a lake and I was watching the snow blowing softly...as if fairy dust was sprinkled I started to see shapes in the snow dustings.. the bushes looked like my cabochons, lolol.

Every day I awake with gratefulness of the gift of life and with my first cup of morning coffee I sit in my studio..singing my mantra and starting my day.

Thank you Brett for sharing with me...I am glad I was able to share with you all.

Laura”

I always say “when the student is ready, the teacher will appear”. Thank you Laura for the wake up call and for being my teacher today.

Mute Monday

2009-03-23T07:23:00.001-05:00

Sometimes you should just keep quiet.

Art vs.Craft

2009-03-19T18:23:00.004-05:00

Some say crafting is not art and artists won’t fess up to say that they like to craft at times and do! Well I have a dilemma and am going on record to let you know that my art has taken a new turn.

Several months ago I purchased a shadow box from a "craft store" yes, a craft store. I thought I could do something different for a change. But I also wondered what the hell am I going to do with this? After all, I am an artist NOT a crafter!!

So, I painted it and adorned it with a picture of Frida Kahlo, covered the inside back of the the shelves with handmade paper and hung it on my wall above my workspace. There it hung for months with all of my calaveras, and trinkets people had given to me over the course of years.

Then as other artists have experienced, I discovered that my art and the art of many hadn’t been selling on the site to which I belong andhave sold my pieces. I needed money and thought about that shadow box. So I did some tweaking to it, added some fresh paint and placed it in my shop. It Sold. Hmmmm, I thought.

There is an ongoing debate about art vs. crafting and it was the topic of a chat I recently participated in. We agreed finally after a LONG discussion that, A crafter does what he/she does because it’s fun and relaxing. An artist does what he/she does, because they have to.
Since my muse has taken leave (it seems like an eternity since she came around to visit), my creativity has taken on a new kind of outlet. No, I am not going to be the next Picasso, Van Gogh or anything like that. I have resigned myself to knowing that no matter what, I HAVE to let the creativity that I hold inside, out. So, my newest turn/twist is painting nichos.

What is a nicho? A nicho is an object of Latino folk art. Nichos are made from mixed media and traditionally combine elements from Roman Catholicism, mestizo spirituality, and other cultural items of significance to the owner. Characteristically "nicho" objects have different names throughout the Latino culture, they may be called retablo or by other local names. It is common to see decorative boxes called "nichos" set upon tables and pedestals to display religious icons. These boxes may serve as a religious altar (to mark a significant religious event) or to honor a patron saint or to house calaveras (skeletons) of special significance.

These pieces are wooden boxes with a glass door. They can be used to house your calaveras or your special little pieces. The box door is painted and adorned with pictures in tin frames, skeletons (calaveras) and skulls. At the bottom of the box door is yet another adornment The shelves in the box are painted with acrylic paint and the back of each shelf is covered with handmade paper. The sides and back of the box are also painted. Shelves vary in height and length. The back of the box has a hanger with which to hang it on the wall with your other Latino favorites. It also latches on the side to keep your favorite items safe.

The measurements of these nicho are as follows:
8" wide x 12" high x 1.5inches deep.

I have nichos on sale that aren't adorned on the outside. I can do that for you as a special order. Please note:

ALL OF THE NICHOS ARE FOR SALE AT VanFleetStreetDesign.etsy.com, vanfleetstreetdesign.1000markets.com, vanfleetstreetdesign.artfire.com. Take your pick of venues which to purchase from....I could use a few sales!

The Artisans Challenge is Back!!

2009-03-17T08:43:00.000-05:00

All you Artisans out there make a note of this date:

March 23rd.

The Artisans Challenge is Back!!

Some may remember... some may be hearing about it for the first time! Come on over at Blockhead Radio to hear more about the launch of this cool weekly contest. You will find some really great music by indie artists :) there too. Formerly known as the Etsy Challenge (the name was changed to protect the innocent...) and then renamed as the Artisan's Challenge because there are soooo many great venues out there for selling handmade.... and then the whole shebang came crumbling down. It was feared that the challenge would never be heard from again.

Yes, the Artisan's Challenge is being dug up from the depths of the internet graveyard! For those who may have never heard of the Artisan's Challenge, let me tell ya what it's all about. There are 12 different categories with 60 different artisans every week (5 submissions in each category). The winner's of the categories from the previous week then face off in a weekly challenge!So head on over, read the rules and enter your submissions now! You'll be notified when it's your week in the challenge. Then its up to you to tell your friends... your family... your neighbours... the postman, the butcher or the candlestick maker ... to go vote for you in the

Artisan's Challenge!!

What's in it for you? Besides lots of people seeing your item when they vote?? Besides FREE publicity for your shop??? Besides all the fun???? It just so happens that the winner of the weekly challenge will now win a audio commercial with a banner to play the entire following week on Blockhead Radio! That's even MORE FREE publicity for your shop!Remember, it's ANY selling venue! Entries are being accepted now so hurry and get your submission in. The winner is decided by you, so be sure you vote. I hope you will find me there a time or two with some items from On A Whimsey, if you do, please can I have your vote?

OH...ONE MORE THING... blog about it. I'll make it easy for you (because I'm nice like that)... just copy and paste this blog, post it, and Let Witchy of The Copper Cauldron know you did! You'll be entered for a chance to win a $15 Gift Certificate to The Copper Cauldron. Visit the Copper Cauldron here!! Last date to enter will be March 22nd. Winner will be selected by a random number generator. One entry per blog.

Just a Funny Something

2009-03-13T13:30:00.006-05:00

My partner and I love laughing together and I especially take great pride in giving the gift of laughter. But today took the cake!

Finding the right cat litter hasn't been an easy feat. We don't like the chemical laden litters found in most stores, so we switched to a more "earth friendly" natural component, we use corn litter or wheat litter now.

Well, we also switched our cat and dog to an all protein diet due to the cat getting sick when she ate, and the dog scratching all of the time (no fleas, no ticks). We found the right food! But since the dog snacks on what she finds in the litter box, we have to remedy the litter problem again.

So, yesterday my partner brought home the litter from the store and sat it on the kitchen table. This morning I sat at the table and saw the litter. I said,"we're going to have to take that litter back and get something else." Puzzled by my statement, my partner looked at the litter and realized it is made of corn. I told her, "I'll just tell the store clerk that our dog is allergic to corn."

Needless to say, a guffaw ensued!

Every New Endeavor

2009-02-28T17:01:00.003-06:00

deserves a write up!

In these past couple of months I have been attempting to get my proverbial feet wet in venues other than Etsy. Cafepress.com I have been involved in for some time, but hadn’t sold anything until recently. Zazzle.com as you know, I have recently become involved in, and now 1000Markets.com.

1000Markets.com is a growing e commerce site like Etsy, ArtFire and the like, but with a new a different twist.

As stated in the 1000Markets.com “About Us” page:

“We are a community of marketplaces, large and small, connecting artisan merchants with the people who love their products.

Our markets are more than just collections of products;
they are full of people and stories. They have voices and
personalities.

Our merchants are small, independent, artisan businesses
built by people who love their craft. They make and sell
unique products, based on their own vision, personality and
story. Working together, these artisans create marketplace
communities - gathering places where merchants can
exchange ideas, and customers can browse and talk.

Our markets are large and small, broad and narrow. Some
have themes, like food, crafts, or art. Others cultivate a
sense of place around a region. And some exist simply
because the people in them share friendship or common
values. Each market fosters its own one-of-a-kind
community, always unique and interesting.”

After I joined this site, I began doing more searching of Mexican/Dia de los Muertos items and found that there were indeed a number of merchants whose work was dedicated to this theme. I started a thread asking if anyone would be interested in a Market dedicated to the Dia de los Muertos theme and received great response! I contacted the administrative team and they agreed. So, now there is a Day of the Dead Market on the site!

Here is a little about our Day of the Dead Market:

“We are a growing number of diverse artisans who appreciate the Latino culture and express the meaning of the Day of the Dead/Dia de los Muertos celebration. We are dedicated to bringing you colorful, quality items that hold a fine respect and honor this ever increasingly popular occasion. We view our fellow members of this market as friends and allies. We are continually working toward developing a community of artisans who respect and honor the traditions of the Mexican culture and Dia de los Muertos specifically. We encourage new, colorful, bold, artistic expression in our products.

We understand that the customers looking for Dia de los Muertos items are a unique and diverse group of people. They are looking for that different something to express in a colorful and oft times humorous manner to be reminded of the personal meaning behind this celebration. We are confident that the products listed in our Market are worthy of such expression.”

Here is a sampling of the pieces listed in this market of which I am the manager and quite proud of the artisans represented in the Market. The following are the artists in order as they appear in the photos here:

sinkitty, jtnee, PattyMara, estudiomartita,

and myself - vanfleetstreetdesign.

I hope you check out 1000Markets and the unique site they have to offer. Visit us at the Day of the Dead Market on the site! See you there!

Selling on Zazzle.com

2009-02-02T03:58:00.001-06:00

So I have a new endeavor at this time. I am currently selling my images on t-shirts, mouse pads, hats, aprons, stickers, coffee mugs, postage stamps, greeting cards, bags, buttons and the like. Although the sales are sporadic, it’s so much fun creating the items!

Zazzle.com allows you to put your images and text on selected items for sale through them. You choose a t shirt style and color, you place the image and text on the shirt, and you choose a percentage you would like to receive from that sale. (All products have a starting price and you decide how much profit you want from each sale.) Watch that you don’t bump that price up too high, then you’ll be stuck wondering why no one is buying!

Here are a few examples of my items for sale on http://zazzle.com /vanfleetstreetdesign check out my shop there!

A Winner!

2009-02-01T00:13:00.005-06:00

"Tooter Turtle"

Original Medium: Television animation

Produced by: Total Television

First Appeared: 1960

image: © Leonardo Productions

"During the early years of TV cartoons, it was customary for shows to consist of three segments, each with a different star, as if they were movie cartoons packaged into a half-hour. Thus, when Hanna-Barbera's Huckleberry Hound debuted in 1958, he debuted alongside Yogi Bear and Pixie & Dixie; and when their Quick Draw McGraw started in 1959, he had Augie Doggie and Snooper & Blabber as back segments. And so, Total Television's King Leonardo had a couple of "short subjects" as well — The Hunter (a detective spoof with a bloodhound for a star) and this one, Tooter Turtle.
Tooter's segment consisted of simple homilies, the moral of which was "There's no place like home". Each episode, he'd call on his friend, Wizard the Lizard (whom he addressed as "Mr. Wizard") and request a transfer to some fun past setting he'd been reading about. Then Wizard would use his magic to send Tooter there, and Tooter would find out it it wasn't so much fun after all — in fact, it would usually turn out downright painful. When he'd had enough, he'd cry out for Mr. Wizard to rescue him; and with the words "Drizzle, Drazzle, Drozzle, Drome, Time for this one to come home", Wizard would immediately do so. He also, in his German accent, dispensed the advice, "Be what you is and not what you is not! Folks that is what they is, is the happiest lot!" Tooter always promised to show better judgment in the future, but he never did."
-Toonpedia

Thank you everyone who participated in this little kick off contest!
Gloria, from HemlockHollow.etsy.com was correct when she guessed Mr Wizard, the lizard. She wins 10% off of her next purchase at my shop on Zazzle.com! Congratulations Gloria!

Just a little thing...

2009-01-30T11:56:00.003-06:00

to jar your memory!

Who use to say this: "Drizzle, Drazzle, Drozzle, Drome, Time for this one to come home"

Enter your guess in the comments section of this blog. Winner gets 10% off of their next purchase at http://zazzle.com/vanfleetstreetdesign !
You will need to contact me prior to purchase! Contest ends Friday January 30, 2009 at 12 am.

Good luck....and no cheating! LOL

Well, I'm Back!

2009-01-25T17:49:00.000-06:00

I got a little tired of the restrictions of the other site I was using for my blog, so I decided to come back to blogspot/Blogger.
Aren't you glad to see me?

In the future you can read about my newest endeavors, some artist tips, features of artists and crafters I have met along the way. I hope you look forward to reading what I have to share...Ahhhh, it's so good to be back!

Thank you for following my blog!
Brett

NEW POST

2008-09-23T08:45:00.000-05:00

There is a new post on the new blog!

Please visit and leave a comment:

http://brettward.wordpress.com

thanks for all of your support.

brett

The Act of Marketing Your Website and Your Work

2008-09-16T08:52:00.001-05:00

Some of you have requested an article on marketing and I have to admit, that is one area where I lack. When I think of Marketing, I think of getting out of my comfort zone and actually talking to people, and taking on new sites on the Internet, contacting galleries by postcard. It can be scary, but it is often necessary.

When I think of Marketing I think of spending money I don't have to get something that I'm not sure I'm going to get, like SALES! There are no guarantees that any strategy will work in this day and age, but it never hurts to try. Which leads me to telling you that I have done some research on marketing techniques for artists. I am going to share the simplest of them and hope that they're not so simple that you have tried them all. So, grab a cup of coffee and spend a little time with this article and keep an open mind.

Marketing has many aspects and many options for the artist. Some avenues are simple and cost nothing, and others cost too much. Marketing can be so simple, yet so complex, or at least we can make it that. The big question is, What is marketing? Most people think that marketing is only about the advertising and/or personal selling of goods and services. Advertising and selling, however, are just two of the many marketing activities.

The American Marketing Association has unveiled a new definition of marketing to reflect the discipline’s broader role in society. The new definition reads, 'Marketing is the activity, set of institutions, and processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners, and society at large.' " Ok, you say, so what on earth does that mean?

Let's talk about marketing activities for the artist, both on and offline. My "simple" suggestions for marketing your work and website are business cards, word of mouth, paid/free advertising, email, newsletters.

business cards-include these in your shipping of sold items. Be sure to have included your website, Etsy shop (if you have one) and your email address. The customer will appreciate the thought and might pass it along to other potential customers. It is important to have your business cards with you at all times. I had my hair cut the other day and was talking to my new hairstylist about my work. She asked if I had a business card and I gave her two. She was glad I gave her two because as she already had someone to give the other to!
word of mouth-my son and his friend were delivering Cub Scout fliers door to door the other day. They stopped at the local church and had a conversation with the pastor. He told her about my being an artist and she asked how she could see my work. He tried to show her how to get to my Etsy.com shop and was unsuccessful. So, he ran home and got one of my business cards and took it to her.
advertising- paid, plugs, comments on blogs, posting in forums are all forms of advertising. Paid Take a small ad in a newspaper, Google ad and other paid opportunities, if you have the funds. Plugs are free. Plugs are tiny advertising banners that you can place on someone's blog or website but they have to have a "plug board" posted in order for you to do that. Comments on other people's blogs are advertising in the simplest form. When I look at the comments of people I don't know, I click on their name or avatar to see what they do. Being involved on sites that provide forums are also a simple way of advertising. If I like what you say and your avatar is interesting, I click to see what it is that you do. A comment may ensue, I might save your site or shop in my favorites for future purchase possibilities.
email- Every email I send, has a signature that includes my name, artist, and links to my website, Etsy shop, cafepress shop, blog. According to the stats on my website, a lot of hits come from emails.
newsletters- This is something I just started for my own marketing. There are lots of sites and programs that offer templates for newsletters. I created mine in Microsoft Publisher. The newsletter can be used to announce a new series, a new website, a new blog, an award, a show. Send the newsletter either by mail or email to everyone you can think of, including previous customers. Look at it as a reminder that you're around and are ever changing and adding to your work. This could bring in new purchases and returning customers.I intend to do a "mailing" (actually an emailing ) this coming week to previous customers and friends.

All of these activities are useful when you are trying to market your work and your website. Of course not just one of these is going to bring the results you want, so mix and match until you get a successful combination.

Good luck!

I am always interested in your thoughts, opinions and suggestions. Please leave comments for me on this blog.

"What Do I Do Now?"

2008-09-09T03:59:00.001-05:00

Now that you have made the decision to create a website or have one created for you, you might be asking, "What Do I Do Now?"

Well, I am about to answer that question! So sit back and relax, I will try to walk you through the next steps in your process.

Keep it simple. That could be the most important tip I can give you today. Don't add so many tabs or pictures or text that it keeps the potential customer or gallery owner there too long. In this day and age, no one has time to sit in front of a computer and sift through your poorly planned site to figure out how to use it. Keep it simple.

Some of the tabs you use might be the following:

Home- this page will be the first glimpse of your website. This is what people will see when their browser opens your page. Keep it clean, keep it interesting, remembering that first impressions make or break you.
About the Artist- keep this simple as well. Don't write your autobiography with all of the details on this page. Give highlights that pertain to you as an artist and keep the focus on YOU. If you want to include your artistic philosophy here, make sure it's neatly separated from your bio.
Gallery- You don't have to have every piece you've made on this page. Post a few pieces that show the diversity in your work. You don't want to show that you're locked into a style that you can't get out of. Show some old work and new work.
Links- Keep the links list, to a minimum. If you have logos for the sites on which you have your work, use them and link them to the site (this will make it easier for the viewer to go see what you are doing there). Link photos to the site where you sell that piece. Again, no one wants to sift through things. They want what they want to see, at their fingertips.
Contact the Artist- Offer a simple form that the viewer can fill out to comment or ask questions, that will be sent directly to your email account.
Etsy page -(if you are a crafter, and your main purpose to having a website is to drive business to your Etsy shop (or other shops) I would say to do this). If you are an artist looking for gallery representation and/or sales from this site, you might be wise to leave this out as not all gallery owners think Etsy a viable or suitable place for serious artists to sell.(This is up to you, of course!) If you are an artist to whom gallery representation is not a priority, but this site is to get your work "out there" it's your choice as well.

Please remember, this is not a blog. Keep the focus on you and your art. (It's ok to mention your wife, husband or girlfriend/boyfriend, kids as people in your life with whom you live, but keep it focused and don't ramble on about them). A website is a factual tool that represents your work to the online world. This is not intended to necessarily bring out your personality, or be cute, you can use your blog for that. If you want to be taken seriously as an artist, you need to make the decision about what it is you want this website to do.

You can do this and keep it simple! If this is your first time, keep these tips in mind and you'll have a more interesting site.Happy Website to YOU!

Next post will hopefully address some marketing techniques that can drive viewers to your site.

"I See a Website in Your Future"

2008-09-02T05:51:00.000-05:00

Picture this if you will, you walk into a sparsely lit room that is adorned with beautiful silks, and beads. Your heart is pounding, your pulse is racing as you see table covered in a breath-taking silk table cloth in the middle of the room, with two chairs sitting opposite of each other. On the table sits a crystal ball, nothing else; the air is thick with excitement and incense. In walks the woman who is going to tell you your future. She is dressed in the same silks that surround you; she offers you to sit at the table. She sits down and asks a few questions, then begins to tell you what she sees…

If I could tell your fortune, and give you great news about a flourishing creative (art or craft) business with lots of sales and notoriety, I would definitely tell you about it. But alas, I can’t do that so I am going to fill you in on some information about something that could shape your future, but with some work on your part…WEBSITES. I know, it could be a boring post,
but it’s not!

If you’ve ventured offline to expand your horizons and spoken with gallery owners, shop owners who offer consignment, local juried shows, organizations you are applying to become a member of, you’ve probably heard some of the following questions: “Do you have a website? What’s your web address? Is your website listed on your business card?” The word “website’” is a common buzzword you might want to pay attention to. Articles I have read, books I have scanned and artists with whom I have spoken all swear by the necessity of artists having their own…yes, you guessed it, website. Don’t be alarmed, or have an anxiety attack,it’s not as scary an on-taking as you might think. I promise I am not going to get technical.

Let’s just explore some reasons why it’s a unanimous vote for artists to have their own website…it won’t be painful or scary.
Firstly, your own website will give you exposure. Websites can offer exposure to artists, people and organizations wouldn’t otherwise know exist. A potential customer in Illinois has no clue that they would like and probably purchase a piece from a silk artist in North Carolina, if they don’t know the artist is around. A gallery owner in London would have no idea that there is an artist living and creating in Toronto whom she would love to represent! An organization such as Worldwide Women Artists doesn’t know the hard working glass artist producing gorgeous pieces in Maine and that they would love to include on their member charter, if there is nothing happening with promotion. Remember the story of the tree falling in the forest and no one is there to hear it?

Some art schools require a portfolio these days for admittance. Some will ask for a web- site to suffice that requirement. If you want to join an organization or an art club, they may ask to see your website to view examples of your work. It is much easier for people in these positions to view a simple site than to wait for your cd to arrive (or not) and find it amongst all of the other cd’s they are inundated with on a daily basis.

Secondly, a website allows you to keep all of your work in one place. Yes, that spells organization, oh, you have heard of that haven’t you? Artists are not known to be organized, that’s why we marry people who are! Just kidding. Imagine, all of the examples of your work contained in one place, wouldn’t that be a miracle? If someone asks to see your work whilst riding the train to the city, hand them your business card! They can then go to your site and take a look and all of it will be there. There’s nothing like being asked to be able to view your work and you have nowhere to send them. You want to be thought of as a professional
artist don’t you? Maybe it’s time to act like one and having this tool will assist you on that journey.

Lastly, the final word…sales. If you want to sell your work and not have to pay fees in order to list it, then pay fees when it sells, an e-commerce website is the way to go. The potential customer goes to your website, views your work, purchases it from you and that’s that. You decide if you’re going to accept credit cards, money orders, personal checks, PayPal, REM etc. There’s no one else involved! And as sites that allow you to sell your work through them begin to get overcrowded, therefore minimizing sales, e-commerce sites are taking root as another more personal alternative to sell your wares.

Now that you have seen what a web site can do for you, how do you go about getting one? There are many sites that offer free websites, and make it easy for you to create it using templates. If you blog, you know that blog sites offer templates for that. Well these sites offer templates to you to get you started. Some templates aren’t flexible and therefore you might get bored with them rather quickly if you like to change things around a lot. These sites are great places to get started, to get your feet wet and they don’t charge anything to enter the pool! Here are some free website companies that don’t have hidden charges at first glance, they are completely free: Microsoft Office Live, CrawlDog.com, geocites.com , mosaicglobe.com and weebly.com. Of course there are others, but these were the sites that had the simplest layouts and upgrades are available for a cost.

If you are able to afford it, you might want to work with a professional web designer to design this new business opportunity. There are many of them out there, some good, some not so good. Prices shouldn’t vary too much from one to the next, and if they do, be wise about their training and ask questions, ask to see their portfolio or THEIR site! If you decide to go this route, be sure you have your plan written down and have a clear idea what you want it to look like and who your target customers are. If the designer spends only an hour with you and then runs off to design, you are probably going to be seeing a lot of that person in the future. Ask questions, give the designer the clearest possible instructions and needs. Creativity is fluid, ever changing and our ideas, our “product” is ever evolving with us. You will want to invest in this web site so it lasts for a specified period of time. You really don’t want to have to spend that money every year or so, do you? Be sure to have your ducks in a row and you get what you want and need
the first time around.

So, to wrap this up, websites offer new possibilities for artists in this ever changing world. Whether you try a simple, free website for starters, or hire a professional, it’s an opportunity for you to gain the exposure Van Gogh, Vermeer, Whistler and others could not have dreamed of. A website offers organization, and a more personal atmosphere from which to sell the work you love to make! Try it, it doesn’t hurt and you’ll learn a lot. You might just have some fun along the way.

Simply Fabulous

2008-08-27T19:10:00.000-05:00

Because I needed to figure out how to layer photos and create a combined image that would include a living room setting and my paintings, I ventured to the local Library to find a book that would make life a little easier and teach me how to do it. I discovered a book that I thought might contain the information I needed.

So, last week on a rather hot day, wearing a pair of shorts and a T-shirt I sat down on my sofa, in the cool living room to read what I predicted to be, a boring book. Imagine being hot and tired from lack of sleep the night before, I planned on being swept into a deep slumber. Alas, I was pleasantly surprised by the pages filled with information and how-to's that make my web site creation so much easier and fun to boot.

The title of the book is "Top 100 Simplified Tips and Tricks for Photoshop CS2" by Lynette Kent. I think you'll agree that it is a boring title. Now you can see why I thought I was going to get caught up on some sleep. But Kent is a native Californian and Parisian, both by birthright and having lived in California and Paris. She completed her Master's degree at Stanford University and has taught art at both the high school and community college levels. She is also a demo artist at trade shows for computer graphics companies.

Ms. Kent has carefully broken down the total top 100 possible questions the reader may have, into one or two pages of clear, concise and picture-filled instructions that answer your very question. Each step is in a numerical sequence instructing you exactly how to perform each task, step by step. Kent has included some time saving insights that "save you time and trouble, cautions you about hazards to avoid and reveal how to do things in Photoshop that you never thought to be possible." She has even included symbols that mark the level of difficulty for each task.

Topics covered in this book begin with "Customizing Photoshop for Your Projects". In this first chapter, Kent shows the step by step process that will assist in changing color settings to fit your projects, designing custom brushes, calibrating and profile your monitor for better editing, to using something called a "digitizing tablet".

Other chapters address the following issues or suggestions:

Working with Layers, Selections and Masks
Straightening, Cropping and Resizing Magic
Retouching Portraits (you'll love this if you're a boomer!)
Changing and Enhancing Colors and Tone
Making Magic with Digital Special Effects
Designing with Text Effects
Creating Digital Artwork from Photographs
Giving Your Images a Professional Presentation
Plugging in to Photoshop CS2

This is a well written, clearly thought out publication that I recommend to anyone who is struggling with figuring out the world of Photoshop on their own. As you can see, I enjoyed the book and gained much needed information. But I didn't get the needed sleep! Ah, the price we pay for information!

"Creating an Artist's Resume"

2008-07-17T10:05:00.000-05:00

Building an artist resume can seem like a daunting task. Remembering dates, shows, gallery or cafe names, remember the name of a show you participated in; the list goes on. But some artists might not know where to start to build a resume. "What's supposed to be in it? How far back do I go? Do I have to list everything I've done as an artist? What if I have done nothing and am just starting out?" These are some of the questions you might be asking. I know I asked those questions while perusing internet sites and magazines for shows to participate in. Almost all of them required an "artist's resume". I had no idea where to start. Hopefully this article will help you break down the necessary components of the resume to make it seem less intimidating.

Remember these points:

You are not seeking a job. This resume will not be like the usual employment resume as it has it's own special structure.
This resume is about achievements as an artist and not a thesis or what you hope to accomplish, the special meanings behind your work
You are writing this resume to sell yourself as an artist to potential gallery owners, jurors of shows, curators.

Carol Michels, states in her book "How to Survive & Prosper as an Artist (selling yourself without selling your soul)" 'The following are suggestions for structuring a resume and the order in which categories should be listed:

Name, address, phone number-how else would they contact you if they are indeed interested?

Place of Birth-possible good icebreaker, you never know where people have been!

Birth Year-if someone judges you and your work by your age, you might want to think twice about being involved with them on a professional level.

Exhibitions- List the most recent first and working backward. If you were awarded, list that in the awards section. This will list all shows you have been involved in. Was it invitational or juried? If there have been more than three solo shows, start the Exhibitions category with those. Cafe exhibitions or shows would be included here and if you participated alone, it would be considered a solo show.

Commissions-List the name of the project, the sponsor (institution, person or company) and the date of the commission.

Collections- List the names of the institutions, companies, museums, or galleries that own your work as part of a collection.

Bibliography-Any and all publications that have mentioned you or featured your work including blog features and blog mentions.

Awards and Honors- Any awards or honors you have received for your work.

Lectures/Online courses- List any and all workshops, courses anything you may have participated in as an instructor, no matter how small you think it is.

Education- Any and all art related education you have acquired. Make this the LAST category to convey the message that your accomplishments have meant more than that piece of paper that states you've passed classes.

There are many different kinds of resumes depending on your experience and background. If you do not have a degree, but have a lot of experience in the art world, do not include education as a component of the resume. Use your best judgment and knock them over with your presentation!

If you have any questions or comments, please leave them on the blog under comments. I would love to hear from you all!

It's Not Easy Being Green...

2008-07-08T17:02:00.000-05:00

Oh Kermit, you have NO idea!

So Kermit's been around for what, 40 years? Well so has the "push" to recycle. I recently read an article by Ligaya Figueras in Art Calendar Magazine titled, "Seeing Green". In this article she talks about environmental sustainability in every aspect of your life.

Recycling can be traced back to previous generations who had to recycle out of financial necessity. They wore hand-me-down clothes, ate leftovers, used leftover building materials, everything that could be recycled, was.

As the years have progressed and the newer generations took over, we became "More" oriented. We became focused on more and more and therefore everything needed to be faster. When things become faster, people became ever "more" oriented, things got tossed away, there was no time to fix things. We believed in the "Use it toss it, get a new one". We have no time to fix things, we have no time to finish, plastic is faster you don't have to wash it like glass you can THROW it away!

We've become what is known as "the throw away society". This attitude has been passed down to 2 generations now and we're in trouble. But thank goodness for that small faction of society in the 1970's that held fast to their beliefs and the beliefs of their ancestors that everything can be reused. Recycling didn't become extremely popular back then, but there were still people doing their part. They were seen as weirdos or strange and people wouldn't listen since they were so oriented the opposite way. The strange people could see that we were heading for a disaster and tried to open the eyes of the society blinded by the MORE and FASTER attitude. They envisioned us being on a fast course to destroying the very things that sustained us. They saw our future lack of resources like clean water,and clean air. We were warned, did we listen?
The answer is no. And now we're trying to clean up the mess we made with our throw away way of lives.

These days recycling is called "Going Green". The "Going Green" lifestyle is becoming "trendy" and "the in thing to do". So what happened to the weirdos? Less VOC's in paint, cloth bags instead of "paper or plastic?" hybrid cars, "Reduce! Reuse! Recycle!" they're still around and pushing more now than ever.

Artists aren't letting this "Going Green" pass them by. Artists are becoming known for being a "Green Artist". No,not like Kermit or the color of a green alien, but using safer products, products which use resources that can be grown quickly and fruitfully and don't damage the eco system like no VOC paint, 100% recycled paper and other art supplies. Artists who use "found objects" as an art form are becoming more popular and recognized.

Art supply companies are turning their focus also. The Golden paint company is employee owned and their motto is, "An entire company committed to doing the right thing in our little piece of the world." Gamblin Paints Board of Director member, Pete Cole explains Gamblin's path, "Gamblin was founded to make oil painting materials that are safer for painters, their paintings and the environment...We reuse packaging materials we receive, use wind-power for our factory and painstakingly avoid waste throughout the paint-making process."

Martin/F. Weber promotes their "Nontoxic Turpenoid Natural". In their ad they proport that this, "emits no harmful vapors, requires no special ventilation, rinses with plain water, will not deplete the ozone layer."

"Eco-friendly" papers is the what the ad says from Legion Paper. Their ad boasts "an alternative energy, chlorine-free, handmade, mill certified and tree free paper". While BEE Paper Company advertises for 100% post consumer recycled sketch pads, Tree-Free Hemp Paper-75% post consumer recycled/renewable paper (no virgin pulp).

This edition of Art Calendar Magazine is full of small ways to make a big difference in changing your studio to a more green environment, check it out.

BEE Paper Company
Legion Paper Nontoxic Turpenoid Natural
Golden Paint
Gamblin
ArtCalendar

Any suggestions, comments are welcome! Please leave your thoughts in the comments section of this blog.

Article Review

2008-07-04T18:05:00.000-05:00

Beginning next week, I will resume reviewing articles from art magazines. I will attempt to do this once per month. I invite you to come back next week to read the latest review.

Oh before I forget to mention, I have a new website! Please visit it to learn more about me!
http://vanfleetstreetdesign.web.officelive.com

Have a great weekend!

This Just Happened...

2008-05-30T15:09:00.000-05:00

As I was painting the other day, I stopped because I just wasn't getting anywhere. Do you know what I mean? Anyway, I stopped and looked at the paper, just trying to figure out what to do with it. I sat there at my art table for several minutes trying to make this paper into something I wanted it to be and found nothing working. So, out of frustration, I asked the paper "What am I supposed to do with you? I just can't seem to get it right!" Before my eyes it was revelaed to me. On the paper was the face of a person. He was a very simple person, with glasses and a long face. I began drawing him. Then his name came, then his story came. It has happened with all of these characters.They just appear on the paper, and I follow what it says to me.

You guys think I'm more weird than you had originally figured...I know...but stop and think about it. Is it not the way of our ancestors who listened with their hearts and not their heads? Who listened to nature, who listened with that part of them, their gut, their spirit to lead them in whatever endevour they were doing?

I have found that when I listen, I know what to do. I know what
to do with paint, with my kids, with my health, with my life it is the
artistry of life. If I listen, the art happens.

What do you think about this piece? How does it move you? Or does it move you at all?
Does this piece invite you to look at more of my work? Let me know in the comments section of this blog! Don't be shy, I welcome all constructive criticism!

Featured Artist: VanFleetStreetDesign!

2008-05-01T09:39:00.000-05:00

Yep, that's me! aka Brett Ward! I decided to give myself a little feature this week. I am going to try to feature a piece of my work each week hoping I get inspired to create newer pieces.
So, here we go...the first piece is titled,

Outside My Window I Watch the Great Lotus Flower Bloom ACEO...Original

This piece was inspired by my love of Buddhism. Most often I don't have an image in mind to put on paper or canvas, it just happens. The paper or canvas tells me what it wants to be and it just works out. That's what occurred with this piece. I was playing around with color, dragging the brush across the paper, adding things here and there, rather haphazardly and wound up with this. It wasn't until much later that I added the windows from a photograph I took in Philly when visiting my mother.

I have to say that this is one of my favorite mixed media pieces of mine. I love the bold colors and the flower turned out perfectly! The added windows is indicative of years of introspection I endured. The fence represents the still barriers to overcome, while the lotus flower blossoms and just is.

This piece and many others can be found for sale in my etsy.com shop. Please use the link to the right to visit my shop!

In case you're wondering, an ACEO is an acronym for “Art Cards, Editions and Originals”... also known as ATC's or “Artist Trading Cards”. There is a growing group of accomplished artists creating these highly collectible, mini works of art. They are all 2.5 x 3.5 inches. Their small size makes them extremely affordable. These cards are sold as Originals or Editions that are prints of the original. Editions are numbered and signed. ACEO's can be made of anything you desire but must meet the standard measurement of 2.5 inches x 3.5 inches.

What do you think about this piece? How does it move you? Or does it move you at all?
Does this piece invite you to look at more of my work? Let me know in the comments section of this blog! Don't be shy, I welcome all constructive criticism!

Featured Artist: JStinson

2008-04-25T19:30:00.000-05:00

"The most important thing in my life are family and friends. They are and always will be my reason for living. Next month I will have been married to a supportive, loving, and understanding man, Warren, for 45 years. If you ask him to secret to our successful marriage, he will say, ' We have been happily married for this long because Joni has always let me have her way'! That will give you some insight into both his humor and tolerance!

We have two wonderful sons, Scott and Patrick and three of the prettiest, smartest, and sweetest grandchildren on earth.They are Sydney 13, Mason 10, and Olivia 9.

The anthropologist Margaret Mead who studied Native American life said, 'Native households always consist of a mother, father, children and 6 dogs.' We don’t live up to her ideal as we have only three. Ours are: an Akita named Lasha, a sheltie named Trunks, and our oldest is a terrier named Buddy.They are never far away. Each has a story to tell. All were rescued and are loved.

We have been lucky to have many close friends throughout the years and always welcome more!

I used to read, bead, sew, crochet, knit, paint, and do needlework. Then I had a family, a career as a Registered Dietitian and Medical Nutrition Therapist in Long Term Care and in private practice. Life happened. Many of these hobbies were continued periodically but only to meet a need, to make a gift, or for personal diversion.

Then several years ago, I took my grandchildren to a Pow Wow and it dawned on me that the vendors did not have much 'middle of the road' merchandise for sell. It was all very high-end sterling silver and turquoise type jewelry or very traditional, predictable, and sometimes not particularly well done on the lower end.

I had a vision that day. I envisioned that there were people who would like to by affordable, nice, native but with a more contemporary flair items. That day I said, 'I’m going to drag out my looms, beads, silver, etc and at this Pow Wow next year I will be vending.' Ghi-Goo-ie Designs was born that day. The rest is history. We have been on the Pow Wow trail of treasures and pleasures ever since!

The name Ghi-Goo-ie may arouse curiosity in some. Ghi-Goo-ie was my Great, great, great, great, great, great Grandmother’s name. She was also the grandmother of Chief John Ross who was the Principle Chief of the Cherokees from 1827-1866. Her name translates in Cherokee to Sweet Heart. Thus hearts are frequently used in many of my designs. I hope my use of her name honors her and all the ancestors between us.

Everything I make is symbolic in some manner. The history of our people, our culture, and our way of life is so rich that there is never a drought for ideas. There is Mother Earth, The Water Beings, Father Sky, the many , color, shape, form animal totems and natural beauty to inspire one everyday everywhere. I talk to the beads and they talk to me. And sometimes this communication results in a beautiful piece of jewelry, which surprises even me!"

I also love to please my customers and many are repeat year after year. I have watched their children grow from Pow Wow to Pow Wow. I get pleasure when I see them proudly wearing something they purchased from me the year before. So, the rewards are not just monetary, though I have to admit that I do like to gain a little wampum along the way It is my pride in the product, the pleasure it brings to others, and their stated plan to return again next show that gives me the greatest pleasure.

I met Joni out of pure fate. She convo’d me to let me know that she loved one of my pieces. I thanked her, and we convo’d back and forth for a bit, then stopped. One day she asked me questions about Teams on Etsy and as a result we have started a very nice friendship.

Joni is a wonderful person, has a great sense of humor and her beading is wonderful! Her work is available at Etsy.com specifically at http://www.jstinson.etsy.com She is very comfortable taking custom orders!

Joni is a member of the Etsy BeadWeavers Street Team, Etsy Boomer’s Team (or Bbest Team) and Etsy Beads. Joni also teaches beading at Blue Earth Intertribal School of Native American Studies in Omaha, NE. She has also been invited by the United States Department of Interior to participate in their National Park Service's "Artist in Residence" program.

Did you learn anything new about this featured artist that you didn't know previously? Have any questions for her? Leave a comment for her!

Blog Posting

2008-04-23T13:46:00.000-05:00

I'll bet you're wondering where my latest blog post is. Well, it's not happening today. Check back on Saturday when I feature another artist from Etsy.com!
In the meantime, please visit to my etsy shop and look around. You just might find something you like. All purchases are welcome!
There is a sale going on in my shop, so if there was something you were interested in the last time you visited, check it out, it just might be one of the items on sale!
http:www.vanfleetstreetdesign.etsy.com
You can also visit me at:
http://vanfleetstreetdesign.artscuttlebutt.com
Have a great rest of the week and I will see you on Saturday!

Featured Artist: AltheaP aka TalkingDog aka Dawg

2008-04-18T20:15:00.000-05:00

This from Janine's profile: "I am Janine Maves, a professional artist who has studied all over US, earned a B.A. in art, and worked as a graphic artist. I've been a silk painter for over 20 years. My items are made one at a time - each is unique. The process of making silk paintings is both meditative and spontaneous: it's mesmerizing to touch the paintbrush to silk and watch the color flow, but you've got to stay on your toes: there's no stepping back! I love what I do and find that ideas for the next project arise while I'm working. I am a member of Silk Painters International, Surface Design Association, BBEST, Freethinkers, and Triangle Area Street Teams. I've participated in many juried shows for both crafts and art.
In addition to silk painting, I make assemblages (three dimensional collages), silkscreen, paint on canvas, do some metal work, and make jewelry. I'd rather be in my studio than any place else."

Also an Etsy seller, I met Janine or "Dawg" as I call her, in the Boomer's Team (BBEST) thread in the forums on the Etsy.com website. Janine's work amazes me. When I think of painting on silk it conjures up pictures of painting on water. The thought of losing control over what I am drawing or painting, is somewhat scary. But it looks like Janine has mastered this! Her many genres of art are something to be admired. She is a talented woman who you don't want to miss out on. Go to Etsy and AltheaP.etsy.com and don't forget to check out Janine's second shop TalkingDog.etsy.com

Another Fine Place to Gain Exposure

2008-04-16T08:18:00.000-05:00

As artists, we're always trying to find different avenues in which to gain exposure, connect with other artists and maybe have our 15 minutes of fame in the art world. ArtScuttlebutt.com might just be the avenue you want to take.
At artscuttlebutt.com, you are encouraged to take part in discussion forums, write a blog, upload member videos, make your own web page with your profile and your own gallery. You have unlimited photo storage and there is no charge. That's right, there is no charge for any of these features.
ArtScuttlebutt.com is the online community for Art Calendar Magazine and Art Calendar.com. You will discover many of the same features as Facebook and MySpace but with an added twist...everyone's an artist!
Art Calendar Magazine pulls their featured artist from ArtScuttlebutt.com. In the Online Member of the Month feature, you are given a full page interview and a couple of photos of your work. What better way to have your 15 minutes of fame than in a nationally distributed magazine?
Go to Artscuttlebutt.com and make your page today. Whom ever said nothing in this world is free, was wrong!

Did you learn anything from this article? How about going to artscuttlebutt? Leave your comments on this blog! Let me know what you think!

Featured Artist: Joonbeam’s "Eco-Friendly Art"

2008-04-12T08:40:00.000-05:00

This from Joon's Shop announcement:

"Environment is everything.
Our family welcomes you to joonbeam where you will find an eclectic mix of affordable treasures, lovingly created and handcrafted with respect for our planet."

From joonbeam’s profile on Etsy.com:

“I love scissors! Maybe it’s the Boo Radley in me. I don’t know. I love rescuing things, especially if someone else deems them trash worthy. My special affinity is vintage fabrics, notions, trinkets and papers, although I will incorporate any intriguing castaway, regardless of age. I love collage and cobbling things together. I believe that the small stuff does matter. One person can make a difference. And character and environment are everything. Truth be told, I'm a little bit obsessive about saving tiny bits of everything. I think character lives large in small. I find comfort and encouragement in clipping; snipping and finding a new life for would be discards. I hope my creations pass this along."

I met joonbeam on Etsy.com about a month or so ago in BBEST, Boomers Team forum thread. “Joon” as most of us call her, has started a new line of painting on old book covers. She recycles the book and uses the cover as the recipient of her truly colorful, original paintings. She told me the other day that she, “…hadn’t painted anything like this in 35 years” but completed her first and was moving onto another. (Both are viewed here) I think you have something here, Joon!

In my opinion, Joon’s work is new, fresh and filled with energy. Her boldly colored, eco-friendly art is affordable to most people on budgets and you get an original piece of art from a wonderful artist! Go to http://www.joonbean.etsy.com to see her other recycled work. You might want to hurry because those two paintings won’t be there for long!

Also visit joon's blog: http://joonbeam.blogspot.com/

Please leave comments! I would love to hear what you have to say. Did this article give you more information about the featured artist? What do you think of her work?

Subscribing to an Art Magazine

2008-04-09T06:42:00.000-05:00

Recently, my partner purchased a magazine subscription for me. The magazine is called "Art Calender, the business magazine for visual artists". It is a monthly magazine that contains articles for artists who sell their wares online, galleries and the like. It features artists who have successful careers and those just starting out.
Some of the articles include but are not limited to:

Developing a Pricing Strategy
Making Use of Multiple Markets
Marketing on the Internet
The Advantages of Blogging

and many more worth your while. In the back of the magazine are listings of galleries and nonprofit spaces reviewing portfolios, grants and fellowships, juried show callings for artists (fees and no fees).

I was particularly interested in the article "The Advantages of Blogging". I found this article to be helpful since I'm a new blogger and not blogging savvy.

Elise Tomlinson is an artist living in a remote area of Alaska, who has been blogging for approximately six years. In the article Tomlinson states that , "Now by traditional standards I haven't 'arrived' yet as an artist. I don't have gallery representation, and I sell paintings for less than they're probably worth. Even so, I'm doing significantly better than six years ago, BB...
Before Blog." Tomlinson attributes her increasing number of sales to the fact that she has a blog and is therefore able to reach more people than she would have had she not had this tool. Hmmm...I'm listening.

Tomlinson states that personal connections with the artist create a comfort level for buyers interested in purchasing art online. She stated, "Last year I sold more paintings (commission free) through my blog than I did through my opening at a popular local gallery." I found this to be true for me also. I participated in a solo show in Des Moines last year and it did generate a sale...yea!!! The person had taken one of my business cards from the show and then purchased the item from me online at Etsy.com! My work through Etsy.com reaches more people throughout the world than I could ever imagine and my sales are increasing as a result and that is where I learned the importance of blogging.

I kept hearing blog, blog, blog...I thought to myself, that is so not like me to journal and pour my heart and soul out to people I don't know and probably will never know. I resisted...and then eventually I caved. Someone told me to only blog a couple of times a week, and that I didn't have to get personal, that I could pass on information or do whatever I wanted in it. So I thought, maybe I'll try it.

Tomlinson goes on to share tips to consider when blogging. She suggests the following:

Post often
Write something interesting (decide who you're writing for, your audience)
Be very selective about the things you share about yourself
Use your real identity
Keep posts short
Ask a question at the end of the post to generate comments
Add other blogs to a "blogroll" and go to these sites often, leave comments for the blogger and more often than not they will visit your blog and contribute.

Tomlinson states that people WILL find you and your work. I am discovering this to be true! I have had my blog since the very end of March and already I have had well over 200 hits. The average length of time the visitor spends on this blog is 4.52 minutes.

Maybe there will be and article that will help in keeping the visitor's interest longer?
*********
If you would like more information about the Art Calendar Magazine and the article discussed in this blog, go to http://www.artcalendar.com

Has this article been helpful to you in any way? Agree/disagree with the information posted here? What did you like about the article? Care to share any personal experience with this topic? Please let me know in the comments section of this blog, I would love to hear from you!

Thanks for reading!

All credits go to Elise Tomlinson for her article "The Advantages of Blogging" copyright remains with her and Art Calender magazine.

Featuring: Chauncey

2008-04-05T11:46:00.001-05:00

This is taken from Chauncey's profile:
"Hi, I'm Eileen, I live in Philly, and in a nutshell..... I just plain love making stuff. Always have. Over the years some of the things I've enjoyed are photography, machine embroidery, silk screening and candle making. Glass caught my interest almost 10 years ago and has been my #1 passion since.

The name Chauncey is a nickname that an old friend of mine and I call each other. Its the main character from the movie Being There but more importantly when I hear it, it reminds me that good friends are one of life's best pleasures." *

In a site jam packed with jewelers trying to sell their ware, I found Chauncey in the Boomers Team Forum on Etsy.com a couple of months ago and I'm glad I did. I found her work crisp, colorful and unique. Her fused glass pendants are mini pieces of wearable art made to perfection. She has been an Etsy seller since September 2007 and has sold 62 items at the time of this posting. Visit her shop at http://www.chauncey.etsy.com you'll be glad you did!

*Chauncey's blog address is: http://www.chauncey.blogspot.com
She writes about friendship both off and online and the importance of having and maintaining connections with others.

"You Can't Wait for Inspiration, You Have to Go After it With a Club."

2008-04-03T10:41:00.000-05:00

- Jack London

I look at my work, I look at other's work, I look at sites on the web, I go to cafe's and look at what other artists are doing. I just can't sit in my living room and wait for something to come to me. If I'm not stimulated creatively, in my environment, I might as well forget it. I have to have other artist's work on my walls, color, my art on the walls...in order to be able to create. I look for new and inspiring pieces on the Etsy.com website (usually thinking, why didn't I think of that first! Ever feel that way?) I am never out to copy anyone, but to be inspired.

A new friend of mine and I were talking through Etsy's conversation access and she said, "Why don't you do a 'I'd rather be Pow Wowing' piece?" I thought that was a fantastic idea and did so. She liked it so much she intends to purchase it!

I can be inspired through someone else's suggestions. I joined an *ACEO promotion on Etsy the other day and in that promotion we will be challenged by the thread starter and organizer to create something from her suggestion. ACEO artists will be able to challenge each other and all is done in good fun, support and creative stimulation. Not to say that one of us can win all of the challenge art at the end of the challenge if the art hasn't been sold. Yes, that's right, you can sell the challenge it doesn't just remain dormant during the contest. Look in Etsy.com forums for the ACEO challenge soon to come!

*ACEO is an acronym for Art Cards, Editions, Originals. The only requirement is that it be a standard 2.5 inches x 3.5 inches. It can be made with anything as long as it maintains its standard size. ACEO's can be framed and hung on the wall, given to a friend as a gift, collected and traded as is done with baseball cards.
Go to Etsy.com and in the search toolbar write: ACEO and you will find MANY! If you prefer original pieces, write: ACEO original. ACEO's price range is anywhere from $1.50 to $25.00 (prints and originals are priced differently).

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