The Spinal Column

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.