Make a list, check it twice.

With the holidays already here, we're all making lists... wish lists, gift lists, shopping lists. As artists, we are often overlooked as small business owners (often by our own doing). We need to see ourselves in this way and we need to plan accordingly. This is the time to look back at the year and evaluate our sales numbers as well as production and marketing. How many paintings did you make in 2008? How many did you sell? What was your average sale amount? Now forecast for 2009? Where do you want to be? What if you increase production? what if you raise your prices slightly? Maybe you need to increase marketing. We are all in different stages in career development but it is true for all of us that we can only improve if we have a plan. Look at what you did well this year. Maybe you finally felt comfortable approaching that gallery you had your eye on for some time. It worked out well and they not only accepted to show your work but also sold several pieces. Great! So next year, you should be looking at other galleries to reach out to to broaden your retail territory. Maybe you found a patron who is supportive of your work and your career. Next year you should be looking at ways to being that individual closer into your process and making them feel apart of your art so they continue with their support. This is the time. Make a plan. Write it down and keep it handy through the year. Return to it often to make sure you are on track. You can't get to where you want to be unless you know where you're going. Be well. Happy Holidays.

Beware of this Scam

"Good day to you,the great painter,

I am full of enthusiasm with your work ,I am interested in purchasing these creative artworks from you...
kindly tell me their various last asking prices.I will be happy to have these selected artworks hanged in our new home. As well, I want you to take out the shipping cost because I have contacted with a shipping company that will be shipping other house decoratives. We will be moving to our new apartment as soon as possible.On Paying for the artworks,I will be glad to pay you with a Bank check in US Funds and you can cash at your local bank,please let me know on how to procced for the payment of the creative artworks. I will await your response on how to proceed.

Have a blessed day."

The above email was recently received by one of my galleries about some of my works. I have been sent many a similar email over the past few years. If you have also received correspondance like this, beware. It starts innocently enough with broken english and need for a lot of art. Generally, the way these inquiries go, the buyer is in England (though can't communicate in good english) and is moving into a new house. They desperately need your art as soon as possible. They have already made arrangements with their shippers and are ready to pay you in "US Funds" (who talks like that?!?) There is a back and forth email correspondance of details, then, for some reason, they want to send you MORE money than you quoted, all the while, they are reitterating how the check they are sending is certified and the funds are readily available. If you end up following this crazy train to the last stop, you are FedEx-ed a bogus Certified Check from some small, independent bank in whatever far corner of the country you are not in. If you get to this point in the transaction, you NEED to call the bank to verify funds. Luckily, when I got to this point, I was well aware of the scam being perpitrated upon me and was always one step ahead of the bad-guys. The bank in question did actually exist and they verified that the check was indeed fraudulent. Upon my verifying to the "client" that the check was received, the perpetrator of the scam immediately fell upon an emergency and demanded all of their funds returned. There is the 'rub'. They want you to cut them a check immediately (before you realize that the check that they just sent you and you deposited is fake. Of course, when I alerted them that the funds were not available and to please send alternate payment, They disappeared and I never heard from them again.
This current saga is still in process. The gallery owner who received this message and I are cautiously continuing down this path just incase. You never know... maybe, just maybe, there is a woman in England , who speaks in broken english, and who desperately needs my art for her new house, and will pay "with a Bank check in US Funds". We don't want to walk away from a potentially real sale, but we are always mindful that this is just another scam.

Visual Artist

Textured Landscape 1

encaustic on panel

6x8

2008

I have long categorized myself as a "Visual Artist".  The opinion recently changed.  Last week I attended a holiday party for my local encaustic group and we were all encouraged to bring a small work to exchange.  I wrapped up the painting featured above and it was selected by another member of the group.  As the paintings were being selected and unwrapped, we passed them around for all to see.  When the recipient of my painting was asked to pass it around, he said, "the first one to see this painting is my wife.:  Now I should say that his wife is legally blind.  He passed the small 6x8 encaustic panel to her, she took it and ran her fingers lightly across the textured surface.  I've never seen someone viewing my painting in that way before.  It was humbling to see her have a totally different appreciation for my work than I had ever intended.  We all see so much every day that is easily dismissed.  Most people will look at a painting for a few seconds and then move on. This woman touched every centimeter, every bump and crevasse.   I believe that she appreciated the painting on a higher level that most of ever will. It was quite a thing to watch.  

Changing Culture

I had a meeting yesterday with Donna Wetegrove of Tips on Art (http://www.tipsonart.org). Though I have been showing with Donna for a few years now, yesterday's meeting was the first time I've seen her in about a year.  She is always in the best mood and greets you and speaks with a grin ear to ear.  Listening to her describe her projects is captivating as she talks with such enthuseasum and drive.  If she isn't working on securing a new arts venue for an artist event, she is working on her plans for an arts center, or simply finding new art from promising, overlooked artists.  She is slowly changing the culture of how the populous views art and artists.  We spoke yesterday about not having enough time... so many projects planned and the year coming to a close.  Little bites.  We just have to keep plugging away, taking little bites and changing the culture of art and broadening the view most people have to art.  Many of you may be reading this from across the country and across the world but here in central Texas this is a real problem.  The popular view is that if the painting does not have a cow, barn, or the state flower (the bluebonnet) in it, it is not art.  Most Texans would be more than happy to simply hang a painted representation of the Texas flag on the wall and call that art.  Changing culture. That's what we need to do and we can't do it separately. We are stronger together.  So if you're not involved, get involved.  There are Advocates and Arts Groups all across the country who do what Donna does.  My advice is find one near you, join, and contribute.

Just keep swimming

We all know the current state of the world economy.  For a while I was checking the news daily to see how the market was doing and if it had rebounded any.  I quit doing that.  It will rebound... eventually.  But I know that if I expect good news daily, I will be very disappointed most days.  My son, Bennett, is 19 months old and obsessed with Finding Nemo. If you haven't seen it, it is one of the good ones.  I should know.  I watch it about 6 times a week (down from 10 times/week one month ago).  Short synopsis: When little clown fish Nemo is taken off the reef by divers, Nemo's dad sets off on a journey to find him with the aide of an other fish named Dorie.  Now Dorie is not the brightest bulb.   She suffers from short-term memory loss and often forgets where she is and what she is doing.  Nemo's dad, Marlin (clever) is a little high strung and always worried. Long story short... Dorie makes her way navigating through a complex world with the mantra "Just keep swimming."  Throughout the movie, when times get tough and circumstances seem insurmountable, she sings her little song..."Just keep swimming, just keep swimming, swimming, swimming, swimming..."

The point of my ramblings is this.  Times are tough, yes.  Especially for artists and galleries.  People don't buy art when they are loosing their homes and jobs.  We all know the economy will turn around, the only question is when.  So we all have two choices... we can worry and obsess about it every day and make ourselves crazy, or we can follow Dorrie and just keep swimming.