And last but not least – A Holiday Fish!

This holiday fish cards is stripped like a candy cane. Fish is one of the four featured images on this years Holiday Note Cards.  This will be included in  a package with three other images (coming soon) as well as 2 Cover Cards showing all four images on one card.  New packaging is in a cardboard box with a clear plastic top and 6 cards will sell for $10.00. 

These are limited in printing and are available by contacting Lori Rae at 207-415-7143 or lorirae@wetpaintstudios.com  – these will also be available at all upcoming art shows.

Take a look – new Holiday Card image!

This is my little Stella in an outfit that my niece Nicki gave her last Christmas.  She is one of the four featured images on this years Holiday Note Cards.  This will be included in  a package with three other images (coming soon) as well as 2 Cover Cards showing all four images on one card.  New packaging is in a cardboard box with a clear plastic top and 6 cards will sell for $10.00.  I will also be selling a limited amount of all Holiday Dogs (6)  in one package.

These are limited in printing and are available by contacting Lori Rae at 207-415-7143 or lorirae@wetpaintstudios.com  – these will also be available at all upcoming art shows.

Sneak Peek – Snowman Note Card

This is my signature Snowman Card (the only holiday card I always repeat each year), which is one of the four featured images on this years Holiday Note Cards.  This will be included in  a package with three other images (coming soon) as well as 2 Cover Cards showing all four images on one card.  New packaging is in a cardboard box with a clear plastic top and 6 cards will sell for $10.00.  There will also be “all snowmen” cards (6 pack) for sale in a limited amount.

These are limited in printing and are available by contacting Lori Rae at 207-415-7143 or lorirae@wetpaintstudios.com  – these will also be available at all upcoming art shows.

Holiday Note Card Image Preview-Chihuahua Reindeer

This is a Chihuahua (Chiwawa) Reindeer which is one of the four featured images on this years Holiday Note Cards.  This will be included in  a package with three other images (coming soon) as well as 2 Cover Cards showing all four images on one card.  New packaging is in a cardboard box with a clear plastic top and 6 cards will sell for $10.00.

These are limited in printing and are available by contacting Lori Rae at 207-415-7143 or lorirae@wetpaintstudios.com  – these will also be available at all upcoming art shows.

A Mock up of my new business cards

Ignore the PDF to JPG Converter verbage which is only on this version of the card and not the actual card.  They look great mimic colors from my website and display booth.

Only six more painting weekends til Christmas

OH boy, am I going to use all of them. At this point I’m not sure I’ll have time to add additional paintings to general inventory…but you never know. Commissions are coming in steadily. Mostly dogs at this point, but I betcha we will see some kitty cats in there. (Still room for more) In an effort to get as many hours in my studio in a row…I have been working a bit at night. After my work day I have been spending nights packaging note cards in new boxes (they look great.) I have also made some changes to my booth this year (exciting and colorful) as well as designed a new business card to promote my consultative approach to pet portraits & art space management. All in all am I ready for the craziness of the season … probably not – but – I have inventory (new) – I have lots of new cards…as well as gift certificates. The holiday cards are special this year (pic’s soon!) and should create smiles.

How to Get an “A” Grade in Art Business from Art Matters by Aletta de Wal, Artist Advisor

#1. ART: Make art that inspires you to continue making more.
This is the fun part. You need a signature style and a body of work ready to show at a moment’s notice. Get into the studio and develop “product.” Show and sell only your best work. Discard, or burn any work you consider below standard. It all starts and ends with making art.

#2. AUDIENCE: Build your art market one person at a time.
Build relationships with people who enjoy and express an interest in your work. Do this right and they will become your informal reps by telling others about you and your art. If you are an introverted artist, develop better social skills. If you are an extrovert, learn to contain your enthusiasm long enough to hear what the viewer wants to know.

#3. ACCOUNTING: Track your investments of time, toil and art supplies.
The business side of art is a numbers game. You need to make lots of art in different sizes, have at least 5 shows a year and meet your audience in many venues. That takes time, money and energy. You have to keep track of all this so you know what it will take to break-even or make a profit. (If you need help on this, Pat Fiorello and Alexandria Levin make it painless.)

#4. ATTENTION: Show your work often and everywhere.
Attention spans are getting shorter. You have to cut through the clutter of broadcast messages. You are not selling soap but you are trying to get mindshare. You need a simple, memorable way of arousing and retaining interest in your work over time. When people see your work in person, in magazines and on the Internet, they see you everywhere. That is the goal.

#5. AMBITION: Motivate yourself to get fame, fortune or followers.
Without ambition, you wouldn’t get much done. Some artists still sneer at marketing their art. They claim that they are only in it for the joy of creating, and that great work will attract purchasers. Nothing wrong with that if you don’t need money to feed your art habit and pay the bills. Choose a “can do” attitude and you are 80% of the way there. Decide what you want from your art. Add good work habits to get past the things that don’t thrill you. Build it, promote it, and they will come.

I learned to cultivate my interests and to share what I discovered so others could grow. The result is that I love what I do for a living. Because I love working with artists, I am motivated to keep on learning and exploring. That makes it more interesting for all of us.

What are you doing to raise the grade on your life as a working artist?

Buy Local Art! Shop ’til you drop!

This is a great event that I have been a part of  for several years with a group of artist friends. If you take all the holiday sales and choose the most unique works…this is where you will find it.  Come and support local artists with a buy local attitude!  Thank you

One month and counting

I have a month before I have four holiday art events. Something about this year, something about finding balance and planning out my stragegy…and I’m finding that I’m actually feeling pretty good about my work flow. You might remember that I work full time in addition to having my small art business, so that alone is a juggling act. I’m scheduling commissions so that I have one per weekend…until the holidays…using extra time to package notecards, work on marketing, and take a little non work time wiht my family. My inventory feels pretty good going into holiday season with a great variety of all my works for sale. I have just completed my very quirky and fun new holiday cards or post-holiday cards….soon to be previewed right here (once they are photographed!) -

Just trying to keep it all calm and not stress…but as soon as all the shows hit…it’s craziness for about 10 days.
Thanks for reading my blog. Pic’s soon

3 Simple Questions to Start Your Day from Art Matters by Aletta de Wal

Eyes tired?   Listen to “3 Simple Questions to Start Your Day”

__________________________

Last week I coached eight groups of artists over three days. It was a treat (and more nourishing than eating Hallowe’en candy).

We were in Pasadena, California but one artist came all the way from Alaska. These artists could have been getting paint on their clothes.  Instead we met in a windowless boardroom. That’s dedication!

We were there to talk about making a better living making art. We buried myths. We built pathways to a satisfying art practice. We covered the practicalities of the business side of art. We explored creative art marketing.

We got into the finer points of each topic.  But connecting them all were three simple principles:

• Art marketing happens one conversation at a time. At the heart of your marketing is a series of conversations designed to build a bridge between you, your art and your audience. That means you have to be clear on your intentions, your talents and your appeal. It also means you can build your business one step at a time.

• Art marketing conversations lead to relationships. Conversations lead to connections. Connections are the first stage of relationships. Relationships that last take time to develop. Over time you build trust.

• Trust leads to sales opportunities. People buy art from people they like and trust. Gallery dealers represent artists who connect with their viewers and collectors. Artist representatives choose artists they can depend on. Museum curators favor artists whose work draws acclaim and attendance.

Take action on these principles and you will get results. It takes more than a cup of coffee to get your day started. Add these three questions to get you going every morning:

• What is the next conversation you need to have to build a bridge between you, your art and your audience?

• Which relationships do you need to begin or nurture to build trust?

• Who trusts you enough to consider exhibiting, representing or buying your art?

You will be amazed at the how much simpler marketing becomes.
What are you waiting for? ACT now!