Entries Tagged 'Featured Artist Friday' ↓

Our schedule for moving out of our home in Las Cruces, NM and into our motor home has moved up. We are now moving out by the end of May and then driving up to Minnesota to start our new mobile lifestyle. This means that I have A LOT to do in the next couple of months. To make things even crazier, most of April (from the 1st until the 25th) will be spent taking care of non-online commitments, including another trip to Minnesota. Uff da!

Let’s move ahead on making this a community blog. All you have to do is send an email to me with the first and last name you want used on the blog and I will set up an account for you and send your username and password. You are free to write about anything art related, including yourself and your own art. If nothing else, this is a great opportunity to self promote. I’ll be making a few changes to the site, mostly in that middle column.

Traffic and subscriptions have been increasing quite a bit these past two months, so this is an opportunity for you to really get your voice heard and art seen. Which reminds me, you do not have to be a visual artist to be part of this community. Performing art is welcomed and you are allowed to embed videos into your posts as well.

So sign up and let’s create a fantastic community arts blog.

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Chris O’Byrne
OnlineArtsMarketing.com
www.YourArtMarketing.com

Barbara Simler, a.k.a. moonbindery on the forums and blogs, is a talented and artful bookbinder from Kamloops, BC. Her handmade books have just the right feel to them. They are works of art that are both stylish and inviting and long to be filled with your thoughts and visions.

You can keep up with Barbara’s life at her blog and you can usually find her work for sale in her Etsy store. For the next couple of weeks she is revamping her studio and her store and getting ready to present her work anew. Bookmark her store and subscribe to her blog because you don’t want to miss the grand reopening.

Here is my interview with Barbara:

OAM: What kind of art do you currently produce?

BS: I do the occasional OOAK artist’s book, but mostly I make handcrafted books–journals, sketchbooks, address books, and a few other things. I love William Morris’s idea that everyday objects can and should be beautiful, so my objective is to make books that are both beautiful and useful.

It’s been an interesting adventure–some people tell me that my journals (the ones with handmade paper cover designs) are too beautiful to write in. Funny, eh? It had never occured to me that something could be considered too beautiful. One woman told me that she never writes in her book. She just takes it out of a drawer now and then to look at it, which gives her pleasure. It’s a real compliment, but not at all what I was expecting!

So, it’s been very interesting to explore the balancing point where beauty and utility meet. In terms of designs, I tend to make what interests me, rather than following a particular fashion, but at the same time I want to be responsive to people’s needs, so I’m making more books that have a specific purpose, such as address books and sketch books, books that people will want to keep for a long time.

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OAM: How many different ways do you currently sell your art and which 1 (or 2 or 3) have worked the best?

BS: I currently sell my work four different ways:

1. Higher-end arts and crafts shows

These have been the most successful venues for me so far. My books are very tactile–the covers of some of them have pieces of bark and leaves in them, and others have leather covers, so I think it’s helpful for buyers to be able to pick them up and really touch them. One thing that has improved my sales a lot is that I set up a separate small table next to my book table that has examples of all the kinds of books I make, along with cards that briefly explain the histories of the different bindings. Doing demos, telling your story, things like that can be very helpful.

2. Art Gallery Shop

I have some of my books on consignment in the gift shop at a local art gallery. Sales there have been steady for two kinds of small books of quotes that I sell for around $12 . I recently added some journal/sketchbooks, and sales of those have been increasing. Two things I’ve found to be useful in increasing sales at the shop are a) telling the story of my books (I created a display card and put the information in each of my books), and b) just being patient. When you do work that’s a little bit different from what people expect, it can take time for them to decide to make a purchase.

3. The third venue is online at my Etsy store at http://moonbindery.etsy.com.

I opened this store over a year ago, but only put books in it late in November, 2007, so I’ve only had an online presence for a little over three months. I’m still busy getting the hang of selling online, and like many artists, I suspect, I’m wondering how people will respond to the idea of buying based on seeing a picture of my work, as opposed to seeing it up close and personal.

One thing that’s been amazing about selling online is that I’ve discovered a whole world of artists in cyberspace, people who’s work I’d never have known about if I hadn’t joined Etsy and started blogging. I really have to restrain myself, or I’d wind up spending the whole day surfing blogs, instead of making books

4. Word of Mouth.

I sell a surprising number of books just from people telling other people about me. Which is really nice! I try to remember to always carry business cards, in case people ask.

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OAM: What additional avenue for selling your work would you like to pursue?

BS: I only have a certain amount of time and energy for marketing, so instead of adding more avenues, I’m focusing on refining the ones I’ve listed above. Doing fewer and larger art/craft shows, paying attention to what people are buying at the art gallery, so I can supply more of those kinds of things. Trying to make the pictures in my Etsy store look as good as possible (a never-ending challenge).

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OAM: Do you have any additional thoughts about selling your art online that you would like to share?

BS: I think I’ll probably have more thoughts after I’ve been online longer! One thing I am trying to do is to refine my book descriptions, to give buyers the sense of how nice the books look and feel–to supply the things they can’t necessarily get from looking at the pictures.

I think like most artists, I’d much rather spend all my time creating, rather than doing the marketing part. For me, the important thing is that the people who buy my books are people, not just “buyers”, and to relate to them on that level.

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Chris O’Byrne
OnlineArtsMarketing.com
www.YourArtMarketing.com

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Kerry Harried, a.k.a. Snitterdog, is a highly expressive, unique, and intelligent artist. Formerly from Madison, WI, she now lives in Savannah, GA (where the weather is almost exactly the same… well, except for the weather). Her quirky sense of humor comes through in her writing as well as some of her work (check out her Frampton Chicken Comes Alive).

Her work can be found at a number of places online and her blog is a good place to start. From there you can check out her 3 Etsy stores:

• Snitterdog.etsy.com
• thegreenefairy.etsy.com
• pookietown.etsy.com

and then go on to find all the rest.

Here is my interview with Kerry. Please visit her blog and her stores and buy everything she has in stock. Really. It would be so incredibly awesome of you and you would be her bff!

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OAM: What kind of art do you currently produce?

KH: I currently paint, draw, make handmade paper, and various cards. I also have been know to make friendship bracelets on occasion…. I have a tendency to work in many media - I’m a very curious type, I guess I would have to say my main field of interest is probably painting and drawing. (That’s what I do the most I am really fond of watercolor, gouache, and pen and ink. My styles vary a lot - my Etsy shops reflect this.  At Snitterdog, you can find my weird, yet cute artwork - it’s kind of surreal, I guess.  At The Greene Fairy, you can find “naturey” work - leaves, sea shells, flowers - that kind of thing… I think I have an artistic multiple personality or something!

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OAM: How many different ways do you currently sell your art and which 1 (or 2 or 3) have worked the best?

KH: Right now I am mainly selling my work on Etsy. I have 3 (I know - yikes!! shops… The first one is Snitterdog, the second is The Greene Fairy, and the 3rd is Pookie Town.  Pookie Town is my newest venue - it will mainly have my bracelets, I think.  I also do independent contracting work in illustration for a newer greeting card company called Parkards. For them I often work in watercolor, but the media is generally up to my own discretion. In the past I have sold artwork to acquaintances of my mine who say something to the effect of “hey - can I buy that?” I always like it when this happens! (not much recently, but I haven’t been out in the world much with my art these days - I mean in person). I’ve been trying to get more internet exposure, which has been interesting because until last summer I was fairly computer illiterate. (In terms of Photoshop, getting images onto the web, etc… Still can’t believe I’m finally doing it! :). I haven’t decided what has worked best yet - I’m still kind of new to this (in terms of trying to sell my work). I will say though, that I’ve sold original, more expensive work, better in person, and usually to an acquaintance… I think often people like to see work in person, particularly if it is a large financial investment

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OAM: What additional avenue for selling your work would you like to pursue?

KH: I would love to show my work in galleries!  I have been in some art shows in the Madison, WI area (where I’m from), but haven’t as of yet been a regular exhibitor in a gallery. I would love to approach some local galleries here in Savannah, but haven’t mustered up the courage yet… I tend to be shy about such things…. I need to get over that. I also would like to participate in more art shows and maybe someday get my MFA.  I have a bachelor’s degree in art from UW Madison, but I’ve been out of school since 2001. (I’m a bit out of the loop now, I think:)

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OAM: Do you have any additional thoughts about selling your art online that you would like to share?

KH: I love selling my art online. I haven’t been in the game too long, but I find it thoroughly enjoyable and have met some wonderful people.  I have also learned so much valuable information on the forums and am grateful for all of this

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Chris O’Byrne
OnlineArtsMarketing.com
www.YourArtMarketing.com

Michelle Basic Hendry is an artist from Muskoka, ON, Canada; a couple of hours north of Toronto. Formerly a graphic designer, she turned to painting full time and now focuses on the incredible beauty of the Canadian landscape.

Having spent most of my life in Minnesota, including the far northeastern part of the state near Ontario, I look at her work with a mixture of happiness and longing. I grew up in the woods and farm country and Michelle’s landscapes brings that all back with an onslaught of emotion. I felt myself immersed in her paintings relished their beauty.

To experience Michelle’s work for yourself, visit her website. For a more personal glimpse into her work and her thoughts, visit her blog. And please enjoy this interview where we learn even more.

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OAM: What kind of art do you currently produce?

MBH: I am currently painting. My primary medium is acrylic. I have designed, created and exhibited stained glass, mixed media sculpture as well as paintings in oil, acrylic and watercolour in the last 4 years.

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OAM: How many different ways do you currently sell your art and which 1 (or 2 or 3) have worked the best?

MBH: I have sold primarily through exhibitions, both private and public, as well as through galleries. My most successful sales have been through the exhibition stream. I am currently with a new gallery and we have been off to a great start. I have my first solo show there this summer.

I have only really been showing art to sell for 4 years. Previous to this I ran a graphic design business and art was only a sideline. It was in 2004 that I decided to change that and began to create more seriously with the intent to sell. I set up a website first as a support to the exhibitions and the gallery and a few months ago I started a blog to reach further afield. I don’t use either to sell yet, but I think I should look at it. It is on my list of ‘to do’s’ by the end of the year.

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OAM: What additional avenue for selling your work would you like to pursue?

MBH: I have been considering the internet as an option. Up until now it has been a place to show my work, but I think it could be a valuable tool for selling smaller works and I am hoping that it might allow me to be a little more experimental - to try things that may not fit in with the work I do for traditional outlets. I have seen other artists that have had a good deal of success on-line and I am looking forward to giving it a try.

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OAM: Do you have any additional thoughts about selling your art online that you would like to share?

MBH: I think that selling original work on-line is a wonderful way to get original work out to people who might not otherwise have seen it as a part of their world. Art in galleries can been seen as exclusive and that the acquiring of it requires a degree and a mountain of cash. The internet can help to level the playing field for certain kinds of art and provide a forum for work that is driven by different motives. It is a ‘business’ like any other, therefore, I think that it needs to offer a different kind of connection between artist and art buyer. There is a great potential in this medium. The success of selling on-line will be in how well the medium provides and presents something that is unique and can, thereby, create a whole new market for it.

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Chris O’Byrne
OnlineArtsMarketing.com
www.YourArtMarketing.com

This week’s featured artist is Kathy Edds, a multi-talented and phenomenal artist from Green Valley, AZ. She is adept in watercolor, photography, papier mache, stained glass, and so much more. She is also an ‘Anusara-inspired Yoga Instructor’ which requires years of teaching, immersions, teacher trainings, an intensive reading and study list, and hundreds of hours of practice with a Certified Anusara Instructor.

Kathy’s website can be found at kathyedds.com where you can see her gallery, information about her yoga instruction, pictures from recent trips, and a short biography. Kathy’s work can also be found in the Otero Gallery in Tubac, AZ and Mardon Frost and Casa Bella in Tucson, AZ.

As a special treat, I have a half-hour interview with Kathy where we talk about her art and what marketing methods have really worked well for her. Click below to listen:

 

 Interview with Kathy Edds [30:10m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (103)

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I am impressed with Paulette’s work and website for many reasons. When I first discovered her blog and spent time looking at all of her work, I had an emotional reaction that I couldn’t place until just now. Growing up I was a big fan of Ursula K. Le Guin’s “Earthsea” series, a series that worked its way inside of me in a way that I could only feel. I get that same sort of a wistful, magical feeling when I look at Paulette’s art. “Sing” is one of my favorites and I was writing this I went to her Etsy store and bought it!

I am also very impressed with Paulette’s marketing and her many ways of reaching out to her audience. She has a Twitter feed, a Facebook page (which did not appear to be available), a YouTube channel, a MySpace page, a Flickr channel, and, of course, her blog. She also conducts teaching online and just started an Online Mixed Media Class. Her setup for the class in ingenious and takes advantage of a private blog, pdf files, a Flickr group, live chat, and, of course, high quality video. I just have to say, this is one of the smartest and coolest things I have seen and since her March class is also already filled up, it is also very successful.

So please go visit Paulette’s many online venues and learn from her. I’m sure you will enjoy her work as much as I have.

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Chris O’Byrne
OnlineArtsMarketing.com
www.YourArtMarketing.com

Brenda Boylan is one of the best pastel artists that I have seen. A couple of mornings ago, Sara and I sat drinking our coffee and just going through her blog, Dusty Fingers, looking at each of the pieces and marveling at their beauty.

We especially loved looking at the posts where she showed several images of the work as it progressed. One of her latest posts, Cafe’ Seating 8.5″ x 13″, takes you through the progress of painting a scene from a cafe in Portland. Her use of the blue and orange under-coating was brilliant and helped create a work that was full of vibrant energy and color.

Shown here is her “Bathing Yellow Irises”, an 18″ x 24″ painting that was selected as one of the most popular on EBSQ. I can see why because this one really grabbed me, also.

You can find Brenda’s work at the following places:

• Portland Open Studios
• Imagekind
• CafePress
• EBSQart.com
• Creative Literacy Project

Go take a look, subscribe to her blog, let her know how much you love her work… and buy something!

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Chris O’Byrne
OnlineArtsMarketing.com
www.YourArtMarketing.com

Heather Brown Truman, of Lexington, KY, is the talent behind BAD! Kitty Art Studio. Her work is awesome, inspiring, beautiful, and magical. She works in both oil and mixed media and the results are phenomenal. Here is her latest, “I danced all night” and if you go to her blog, you can read what she has to say about it.

In her profile, Heather has a quote from Sol Lewitt, American conceptual artist and minimalist. Part of that quote goes “Conceptual artists are mystics rather than rationalists.” Heather is definitely a mystic as her work reaches out and grabs you by the heart and soul, a much deeper place than mere rational mind.

For a broad look at Heather’s work, her online studio can be found at www.badkittyartstudio.com. Visit her blog or join her at www.YourArtMarketing.com.

Chris O’Byrne
OnlineArtsMarketing.com
www.YourArtMarketing.com

papiers collés is the blogsite of Neda Doany, an artist formerly of Beirut, now living in Austin, TX. Multi-talented and with a Doctorate in Speech Communication, it appears that it is through her art that she makes her strongest statements and influence in this world.

Neda’s collage masterpieces are “unique handmade pieces made with paper, glue, scissors, and passion.” For me, an appreciation of collages did not come right away. I grew up on a small farm in rural Minnesota and thought “real” art had to be realistic. Fortunately that state did not last and I learned how to experience art both intellectually and emotionally/spiritually. Neda’s art definitely connects with me emotionally.

In addition to her blogsite, you can view Neda’s work at her online gallery at www.MarayaGalleries.com. Please visit Neda’s online world and experience her art for yourself!

Chris O’Byrne
OnlineArtsMarketing.com

Sue O’Kieffe is an artist living on the North Coast of California and has been creating mandalas since 1995. (If you are unfamiliar with mandalas, here is a Wikipedia article that will give you an introduction to mandalas.) Sue’s website, Sacred Circle Mandalas, is her blogsite that gives you a glimpse into the life and work of this amazing artist.

I have always been fascinated by mandalas and have created several at various points in my life. When I was studying for my Masters of Earth Literacy at St. Mary-of-the-Woods College, we spent one afternoon just studying and creating mandalas and they have a true spiritual influence. Sue combines this with nature and digital photography (two more favorites of mine) for an incredible triple affect of arty goodness.

If you are wondering how she goes about creating her masterpieces, here is a recent article where she gives a tutorial on pattern-making that helps explain the process. Like any true art, technique is only one piece of the whole puzzle.

Sue has another website here where you can also see her portfolio, greeting cards, and more. Please check out her sites and let her know what you think of her work.

Chris O’Byrne
OnlineArtsMarketing.com