Oh, Me, Oh, My, Oh. . . . . .

. . . . which translates to "Aaaaarrrrrrgggggghhh!"

I am trying to take all the suggestions I've been receiving "to heart" and trying to make the appearance of my blog take more of a back seat to the artwork itself. What you see right now is a very different approach than I've ever tried before. A different header, the use of my logo rather than a photo of a painting, a more subtle color scheme, and a natural, fresh look, I think.  I'm not sure it's "me" but maybe it's not supposed to be "me" maybe the ART is supposed to be "me".

Oh, well, it's all been fun and a good learning experience. I still cannot do what I want to with the header as far as sizing it and centering it because I don't speak html or css. :) If anyone can help me, so be it and if no one can, so be it too--for tonight at least. Tell me what you think, if you'd like and I promise to listen and try to improve.

I'd like your feedback. . . .

Dear Blog Readers:

I'd like to start doing a giveaway on my blog each time I have a new greeting card available. To explain the process a little bit, whenever I complete a painting and decide that it's worthy of being photographed, I take it to Aaron Mullins at Mullins Editions in Clovis, California to be professionally photographed and archived. Then, I can request prints in a variety of sizes and on a variety of styles and surfaces, as well as small greeting cards. Usually, I get cards of each newly photographed piece and it is those cards that I'd like to use as my giveaways. Pictured here today are "Rose Window" and "Fowl Weather Friends", both relatively newly photographed works that I have in the Ag Show at Madera Arts Council Circle Gallery in Madera, California.

I will give one of each of these cards to a randomly selected reader who responds (in the form of a comment) to these 2 questions:

(1.) What do you like most about my "Mixed Messages" blog?

(2.) What do you wish I would change/improve/update on my "Mixed Messages" blog?

The winner will be selected on November 1st, 2010. I look forward to reading your comments and making some improvements to my blog.

Art Stand "Tent Event" on Saturday, October 16th

 

Saturday, October 16th, the Art Stand Gallery will be holding their annual"Tent Event" 

in the parking lot at the gallery.

Artists set up both inside and outside,
refreshments are served, and there are
demos throughout the day. Guest artists
are encouraged and invited to join us for
plein air painting of the fall countryside
near the gallery.

It's a fun day and the weather holds the
promise of being pleasant. :) Hope
you can come out and join us
this Saturday at the Tent Event!

Guess what's coming up on the first weekend in November?

What: Celebrate Creativity Artist's Inspirational Retreat (Third Annual)

When: November 5-7, 2010

Where: Kathleen Mattox's home studio/gallery in Sanger, California

Who: Artist friends (and friends of friends!) of Kathleen

 Why: To encourage, inspire, and motivate artists through association with fellow artists

How: Any way we can!

















For details, comment on this post
and I'll send more information via email.

Alyson Stanfield's "Cultivate Collectors" Class

About a year and a half ago, I was involved in a "salon" class based on the book "I'd Rather Be In The Studio" by Alyson Stanfield. It was a group facilitated by Julie Mitchell in Coarsegold and we met every for several months and continued to meet monthly for some time after the salon was over. We became the group of women artists now called "Sisters 7".

Well, anyway, it was a great experience and I learned so much from reading the book that I wanted to know more. So, I signed up for an online class of Alyson's called "Cultivate Collectors" and it has just begun. We have a daily assignment and homework and we communicate with each other via an online blog. It's only Day 3 of 18 days now and I already feel like I've gotten my money's worth out of the class. What it's done is renew my interest in moving forward at becoming a better marketer of my work. As they say, it doesn't matter how good of an artist you become if you have no outlet for it, no place or way to sell your work or make it available for others to see. Well, I've found lots of places and ways to "get it out there", now it's a matter of doing a better job of staying in touch with people and cultivating new people. It's all related to my mailing list or contact list--adding to it, keeping it up, and using it!

Onward and upward! Or, as Sheila Boyd (one of my six "sisters") would say:

"Sparkle and Shine!"

How Time Flies When You're Having Fun!

Where do the days go? Memorable moments from the recent past:

1.  Bebe Long and I traded paintings. I now have her "Pink Passion" and she has my "TuTu Tangle." We are both thrilled and excited with our recent acquisitions. Photos to follow.

2. Sierra Art Trails was a successful event in spite of the rain. The 4 artists there were a great team: Julie Mitchell, myself, Vivian Capone, and Gretchen Lee. We enjoyed each other's company and making new friends together. I had a successful sales weekend with 2 originals finding new and loving homes and numerous smaller sales.

3. I'm taking Alyson Stanfield's "Cultivate Collectors" online class. Time to clean up my act and move to the next level. :)