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I know this is late.  I just happened to stumble upon this and thought I should pass this on.  The deadline is 5pm on August 28, 2020.  I thought maybe with shows pretty much being canceled someone may have the time to quickly put things together to apply for this.

The Appalachian Sustainable Development is applying for grant funds to pay an artists or team of artists to paint an outdoor mural on a new garden shed depicting agriculture and it impact in Central Appalachia.  

"If awarded, we aim to create a place-based mural (approx 8 ft. tall & 12 ft. wide) on our new garden shed at ASD's demonstration garden, 798 Hillman Hwy. NE, Abingdon, VA. If awarded, the work must be done: 11/1/20 - 4/30/21. #livingbetterlocally #supportlocalartists"

The shed to be painted is in Abingdon, Virginia.

You will need to submit your portfolio to scrum@asdevelop.org by 5pm on August 28, 2020.  I know it is late but thought I should post this in case there is at least one interested artist.

You can find more info here:

https://www.facebook.com/livingbetterlocally/photos/a.426442719943/10151422154984944/?type=3&theater

Call for artists: Residency program in Budapest, Hungary in 2018
We are pleased to announce Open Call for Artists: Hungarian Multicultural Center residency program in Budapest, Hungary.

Subject: “Environmental Project”& ‘BookArt”

Deadline: December 20, 2017

Session 1: Tuesday, May 15 - Tuesday, June 5, 2018
Session 2: Tuesday, June 12 - Tuesday, July 3, 2018
Session 3: Tuesday, July 10 - Tuesday, July 31, 2018
Session 4: Tuesday, August 7 - Tuesday, August 28, 2018
Session 5: Wednesday, December 26 - Friday, January 11, 2019

HMC International Artist Residency Program, a not-for-profit arts organization based in Dallas, TX / Budapest, Hungary - provides national and international artists to produce new work while engaging with the arts community in Budapest, Hungary. 

For more info and application form write to: Beata Szechy
bszechy@yahoo.com
http://www.hungarian-multicultural-center.com/id105.html

Call for artists: Residency program in Budapest, Hungary in 2018

We are pleased to announce Open Call for Artists: Hungarian Multicultural Center AIR-HMC residency program in Budapest, Hungary.

Subject: “Environmental Project”& ‘BookArt”

Extended Deadline: March 1, 2018

Session 1: Tuesday, May 15 - Tuesday, June 5, 2018

Session 2: Tuesday, June 12 - Tuesday, July 3, 2018

Session 3: Tuesday, July 10 - Tuesday, July 31, 2018

Session 4: Tuesday, August 7 - Tuesday, August 28, 2018

Session 5: Wednesday, December 26 - Friday, January 11, 2019

HMC International Artist Residency Program, a not-for-profit arts organization based in Dallas, TX / Budapest, Hungary - provides national and international artists to produce new work while engaging with the arts community in Budapest, Hungary. 

For more info and application form write to: Beata Szechy

bszechy@yahoo.com

http://www.hungarian-multicultural-center.com/id105.html

From Go Fund Me - 

"It is with immeasurable sadness I have to announce the death of our talented, humble friend--one of our most cherished gallery artists--Daniel Ng. Daniel passed away over the weekend in Dallas, TX while at an art show."

https://www.gofundme.com/danielngmemorial

I did not know him, but love his paintings. He sounds like a pretty amazing guy. 

Show promoters- Puleeeeze stop calling for "vendors" in your prospectuses and advertising. It drives me nuts!

I've been doing shows for a good number of years but it never hurts to get a reality check once-in-a-while and make sure the rudder is heading in the right direction. I saw a reference to a new book called Death To the Starving Artist by Nikolas Allen and feeling as though I were a starving artist after the shows in 2013 I thought I would look into it, see what he had to say and see if I missed anything important. I requested the book from the local library (hey! I'm starving I can't afford to buy every book I see!) and they bought it so I could read it.

What were some of the take-aways that I got from reading this newest entry to the artist self-promotion jungle? The book has some of the usual gibberish that I've run into before (see my list of books to consider at the end of this discussion) like pursuing other venues such as coffee houses, hair salons, empty buildings, what-evah. What he has done differently with that information is conceptualize it in terms of where you are in your art career, where do you want to be and who do you want as an audience? He compares your art career to a ladder and suggests that certain venues are more appropriate to certain stages of your career. I've certainly done my share of going up and down the rungs as I've done a lot of that alternative space stuff but never stopped to think of it in those terms before, it was worth some self-reflection. What may have (or not) served me in the past may not serve me in the present or on into the future and besides which, where is it that I want to go?

Another important point he made, which was well served, was crafting a meaningful marketing message. How do you talk to people, do you hem and haw or do you have a concise concept of what you do that you can deliver within the first few seconds of contact. And speaking of contact, do you hide out or do you engage? The new form of reading a book in the back of your tent is now perusing your Smart whatever device and hiding out in the back! When it comes to naming your business which way do you go? Do you use your name only or a catchy phrase or some combination of the two?  I just saw a post on this site over that very issue. We've all heard this, and most of us do it, the mailing list! You need to remind your patrons that you still exist! But beyond that how do you maintain active contact with your patrons? What kind of contact do you maintain and how do you do it in this world of social media and other frippery. I thought he made several good points in this particular chapter. Well worth consideration for the beginner or veteran artist.

In the third section of his book he talks about the "tools" needed to reach your audience. I've struggled with bio's and artists statements and I feel his treatment of the subject was concise and finally made some sense to me, or was it because after the third go round it finally sunk in? If you've struggled with this subject, or are about to, it's worth the read. He takes on websites and social media concepts as well. I think he overemphasized self-made websites as there are a ton of ready-made templates and services out there for the faint of heart.

At one point I thought he was a little dismissive, or at the very least, minimally mentioned, Art Fair Artist, as a means to an end before he went on to the Galleries section. But in his defense he is looking a the overall picture of artists not just one avenue. If your looking specifically at running your business in the artfair realm you'd be better off reading Maria Arango's book (see below).

The last part of the book is a good overall look at the different tools an artist can enlist to forward their goals and one should consider which, if any, are appropriate to your level as well as your end game. All-in all I found it an easy read and I came away with a few new tips, a few "I hadn't thought of that befores" and some insights on doing what I do a little differently next time around. 

Further Reading:

By the way there is a nice freebie on his website that can help you move forward in terms of marketing yourself at: www.DeathToTheStarvingArtist.com/workbook.

One of the most enjoyable reads and a great primer to this whole art fair thing is: Arango, Maria, Art Festival Guide, The Artist's Guide to Selling in Art Festivals. Her book goes into many of the details of the artfair artist.

Bhandari, Heather Darcy, and Melber, Jonathan, Art/Work ___Everything You Need to Know (and Do) As You Pursue Your Art Career.

Stanfield, Alyson B., I'd Rather be in the Studio.

Lang, Cay, Taking the Leap, Building a Career as a Visual Artist.

Grant, Daniel, Selling Art Without Galleries.

Michels, Caroll, How To Survive & Prosper as an Artist.

Grant, Daniel, "Take This Under Advisement,  Need a Career Jumpstart? Artistic Advisors are Ready to Assist You," Sunshine Artist, Feb., 2014, pp. 22-25.

Getting Exposure, The Artist's Guide to Exhibiting the Work, an Art Calendar Guide by the editors of ArtCalendar Magazine

An interesting tale of 2 professional photographers working in the field, one a well known wildlife photographer and the other for capturing rustic charm, character and the essence.  Both members of the prestigious New England Photographers Guild.

John Vose is motivated by how Tom connects with the subject and conveys his passion to the final print.  A short simple article, but an excellent juxtaposition of two genres' 

http://thomas-schoeller.artistwebsites.com/blogs/a-tale-of-two-genres-see-what-i-see-.html

Okay. I did it. I've been in the biz forever. But this was my very first outdoor show with a tent and walls and all the concerns we all read and talk about on this amazing site. And although I had read and researched and practiced and planned, my insides sweated it out and I totally wanted to back out of the whole thing. By the time we arrived at our friend's beach house with a borrowed van the night before the show, I was already exhausted, and soooooo angry. At what? At whom? No one, really. I was just disappointed. I was disappointed that it wasn't more fun. I hated the packing and unpacking and spending way too much time preparing. I'd read all about grid walls on this site and decided to go with that. But they were so heavy and cumbersome. Why did I spend SO much money on all this? Why did I even think I'd want to do this at all? I'm too old for all this bother. What was I trying to prove?

And this was only Friday night and all that was going on was early set up the night before the actual festival.

My husband came with me to set up the tent and put everything in place. With a few festival neighbors to help, we got the tent up and were even offered four heavy-duty twisty dog ties for the tent legs which I hadn't known would be allowed. We'd put up the grid walls and placed the weights but we could NOT get the tent walls to meet, to close and it had taken so long - before I'd asked for help, that is - to get the tent itself to stand straight and sturdy, and then to get the weights and stakes in place that the sun had set and it seemed that all the tents were up, the artists were gone, but we were still there. I was living a nightmare and I felt incompetent and angry and embarrassed. It was now dark and the wind was howling and the walls were blowing everywhere. I wanted to take everything down, put it all back in the van and run away. I hated everything about the process. 

My husband, however, was amazingly patient. He was not about to let me quit. And then my inner artist warrior took over and I found myself making a decision. "Let's take down the sails and leave up the tent and grid walls. Batten down the hatches and let's get out of here!" 

I slept not a wink that night but literally watched the full moon turn orange as it made it's way across the window and out of my line of vision. Every gust of wind startled me while I tossed and turned. I wanted to get up and paint the scene it but everything was in the van. I thought "I should be working, painting, sculpting, not doing this crazy art show thing." I awoke angry and tired and hungry and didn't have time to eat breakfast or even shower. I wanted to run away and not set up at all. I figured we could run over there, take the tent down and leave. I'd send an email later. The artist warrior side of me prevailed again, though. As did my incredibly patient husband. (He had actually slept that night.)

That first morning, as we set up my paintings and my ceramic masks, I pretty much filled my mind with complaints. I had been amazed to see my tent and all the weights and display grids sitting upright and waiting for me. But I was still mad at myself. As I made my way through the bubble wrap, all my mind could focus on was how I hadn't bought shopping bags, I didn't get new business cards, I forgot to make price tags, I should have brought a cooler. I HATE THIS!

The weather was gorgeous and the crowds were quiet but pleasant. I didn't make a single sale and after this first 8 hour day of sitting in an uncomfortable chair, I felt justified in my disappointment. At the end of the day as I wrapped and packed all my artwork to drag back to the borrowed van - still couldn't get the walls to fit - I thought, why not just take everything down now and run away? I don't HAVE to come back tomorrow. I'm not in the Army, for heaven sake.

Oh, alright. It's only one more day. I'm fine. I'll come back.

My husband and friends went out to dinner after the show that night. I stayed in and went to bed. Confident that my tent and grid walls were securely in place and my artwork was bubble wrapped safe and sound in the van, I slept. Boy, did I sleep.

I awoke to the sunrise, had breakfast, took my shower and dressed like a proud and happy artist should. I even remembered earrings and mascara. I'd brought a better chair and went off to rule my day. I took my time, by myself, to set up my work on those walls and as the minutes went by people came in to watch, to talk, to admire, to compliment, to ask questions, and yes, to buy.

I made price tags out of my crazy out-of-date business cards and wrote my new info on the cards I gave out. I wrapped purchases in bubble wrap and twine. I had wonderful conversations with visitors as well as my fellow artist neighbors, enjoyed an ice cream cone from the local food truck and made new friends. And throughout the day, I sold stuff!

Before the first hour of the second day, I'd already made back my booth fee and had once again found my joy in talking with people about my work, selling with no apologies and proudly calling myself an artist in business again. "Oh, are YOU the artist?" "Yes," I beamed. "Yes, I am. This is my work." It had been so long since I'd been in the public eye and I loved hearing people tell me how "exciting and different" my work was. I even loved it when people said "Oh, these are kinda scary!" Thank you, I'd say with one raised eyebrow. Thank you very much. 

At five o'clock on that Sunday afternoon, four volunteers ran up to me and asked if they could help me with anything and I said "yes, thank you. I think I could use help with everything." They laughed and got to work. The volunteers had been there throughout both days to give us breaks and bring cold water or hot coffee. When my husband arrived with the van, everything was folded neatly on the grass and I found myself relaxed and smiling with an inner peace I hadn't felt in ages. It had truly been an amazing day, made even sweeter by the turmoil I'd put myself through leading up to that last moment of my first show.

What I want to say to you here is Thank You. Thank you for this forum. For tips you've all shared, and the booth photos for Newbies, and the experiences of all the different shows you've all lived through, both good and bad. Thank you for your input on walls and weights and tents and displays, even when you've answered the same question a million times before. And, oh my God, thank you for telling us about zip ties! But most importantly, thank you for making it alright to be scared sometimes. And for making it okay to admit that we've never actually done this before. 

Thank you for letting us understand that it's okay to ask for help of our fellow artists. And to accept that help graciously. And that the volunteers really DO want to be helpful. Thank you for giving me permission to say "Excuse me, but this is the first time I've used this tent. Could you help me?" 

How sad it would have been to have given up and never had this crazy experience. How helpful it was to come here to this forum every couple of nights for months with a question, or just an hour to read about things and then be able to actually use what I learned here. If I can pay it forward I would say this: Don't be afraid to feel your feelings but then get past the negative stuff and move on. Get a good night sleep, eat a good breakfast, don't forget your sunscreen. Drink lots of water and know where to go when that catches up to you - because it will. Ask for help when you need it, offer help where you see a need, be grateful and mindful of how lucky you are to live your life by your own standards, to spend your day in the shade of a tent surrounded by your own creativity and joy. Talk openly and happily with everyone you meet, be nice to people even if they say silly things and don't seem to "get" your work. And when things get crazy - which they will - stop for a moment, find your center, take a deep breath and just have a ball. The answers will come. Always remember that you are an artist and that's just an incredibly cool thing to be.

Thank you again.

Robin

I promote myself as a "salvage artist", I repurpose metal objects (junk) by welding them into benches, chairs, plant holders, garden sculptures, etc ( www.salvageartist.com ).  I have done fairly well selling my art locally over the past three years, so this year I decided to branch out into surrounding states.  I spent a lot of time researching shows that I thought would be a good fit for me, reading on-line about tips to doing art shows and attended many to do further research.  I applied for 8 juried shows and was accepted into 6, I thought that was pretty good.  I was just at my 4th show of the year - Arts in the Gardens in Canandaigua New York.  Beautiful weekend, wonderful show, people were spending money! I did less than $300, my worst show yet (which is not to say that my others were good, I haven't hit $1000 yet).  I put a lot of thought into how I layout my booth.  I have a nice sign with my artist statement and picture on it and I engage the people in conversation.  I get wonderful comments - "your work is amazing", "so different than anything I have seen before", "your art is what I will remember about this show", "Your art is priced so reasonably" but they are not buying it!  I love sharing what I do with people, but these are not art exhibits they are shows and everything is for sale.  My prices are reasonable because after my first two failed shows, I lowered my prices.  If people walked past my booth and didn't even look at my art I would think my stuff was crap and stop trying to sell it.  But they stop, they look, the love it.  They pump up my ego and then they trample on my heart as they leave.  I love doing the shows and meeting other artist who constantly inspire me with their creativity.  A more helpful group of people you will never find, giving me tips on shows to try, web sites that are helpful and any other info they think will help me.  But what I really love to do is create, which I can't afford to do if I can't sell what I have already made.  SOOOO - what am I doing wrong????

This is Kathy Coons writing, not Don. I am standing on my soapbox!

We were at the Smoky Hill River Festival in Salina, KS last weekend. As bored artists are wont to do, conversations ensued. The favorite topic is of course, "Why can't I get into shows anymore?" Well, the conjecture seemed to revolve around, "It's Zapplications fault!" There is a rumor (I call it a conspiracy theory) that Zapp offers shows the opportunity to have Zapp jury the show for them. They pay extra for this service and that the bigger shows do this, i.e. Cherry Creek, St. Louis, etc...This presents a very real chance for unfair bias, or vendetta's against certain artists or styles. This is why established artists are not getting accepted into shows that they routinely or at least occasionally used to be invited to.

Does anyone have any solid evidence for this? And why would a show do this? More importantly, Why would Zapp risk their reputation by doing this? I guess it could cut down on the promoters expenses by not finding, bringing in jurors, housing and feeding them. But it seems like the shows would want to change up jurors every year, and have a choice in who picked their shows.

I can imagine that this "jury" would get really tired of seeing the same images, over and over. They would be inclined to say, "Seen it, been there, done that, rejected."

So, if this is the case, do we need to get a new body of work images as well as a new booth slide every year! It is quite a challenge to come up with a new set of jury quality work, have the pieces professionally photographed and go to the expense of framing them. And then finding a place and appropriate light to set up your entire display, set it up, photograph it, tear it all down, pack it up again. Hey folks, many of us are retirement age. This is a lot to ask of a greying population of artists!

Why do the applications rarely tell artists who the jurors are? I think that is a fair question. Why would a traditional painter apply to a show with only contemporary museum quality jurors? I would think shows would want one experienced art fair artist on their jury. Don't they realize that the reason shows are in business is to provide the public and the artists a chance to meet and buy art goods for their home? Most people want a good mix of art to choose from. Not all Realism or Nonobjective art. 

So, has anyone else heard of this?? Anyone have any proof?? If it's not true, then we should quit speculating. If it is true we should be uproarious with our hearty disapproval.

Let's clear up a few details so there is no confusion: I have a job.

More specifically I have a business. Technically, I've had a business for nearly a decade. Of course, because my business involves creating art people assume it is simply a hobby.

Which brings me here.

I'm angry about being judged and am tired of defending my life to well-meaning loving people, well-meaning ignorant people and a few not so well-meaning haters.

In talking to people about this I've discovered something interesting - people have no idea what I - or most successful artists - actually do. So in as few words as possible, let me tell you about my business.

I am an award-winning, fine artist creating original oil paintings, custom murals, private commissions and fine art prints with Americana and vintage themes. I travel across the country profitably selling my art at juried art shows where it has been recognized and rewarded by knowledgable experts.

I hang my artwork at well established professional galleries. I teach painting classes, art camps and mentor other painters.

I have an audience that will buy my art because it is original, authentic and well-done. I am talented.

And for the first time in my life I am fully committed to my Vision.

I've decided to write about this because my partner, friend and lover pointed out that I sound like I'm apologizing when I talk about my business. That when confronted with the "When are you going to get a job?" comment there is a hint of embarrassment and shame in my response.

And he is right. I've been trained.

In talking to other friends that have a business that revolves around creating something called "art" and reading blogs and essays I've discovered I'm not alone.

Here is the irony.

If I spend my day selling cars at a dealership most people would say, "Chrissy? She has a job selling cars." If I spend my day cleaning houses they might say, "She is a housecleaner."  If I left my studio, drove to a customer's house and painted the siding I would have a job as a housepainter. If I spent my day at home coding medical records people would consider that a job.

Apparently, if I was employed at Menard's making minimum wage that is a job too.

But because I work fifty to sixty hours per week on my business creating something at home called "art" it isn't considered a job.

The truth is there is an established, recognized market for my paintings. It is simply a question of finding the right mix and taking the actions to support my business. I manage my accounting, pay taxes, market and promote my artwork, network with other art professionals, enter into juried art shows, enter into competitions, work with professional well established art galleries and give art lessons.

I find the double standard confusing at times.

How this plays out for people is different for different people.

Let me give you a couple examples of how this actually plays out in my life.

Among other failings, my ex-dear husband is a failure as a business owner. For nearly, three years he has forced me and my children into difficult financial situations, ran up my credit cards, ruined my excellent credit rating and avoided any real work.

Oh, and he is also a painter except his "canvas" is the inside and outside of houses. He is a housepainter.

Last week, during court, the judge suggested I get a "real job." Apparently, the judge did not consider being a mother and raising our children a real job. I painted when time allowed, ran art camps and traveled 8 to 9 weekends per year for my business.

However, the judge never confronted my ex about his unwillingness and inability to support his family with his job. He never suggested, "Sir, perhaps you need to get a real job because it is obvious what you are doing is not working." The judge never called him out even though as the family's breadwinner he wasn't winning or bringing home the bread.

My ex's lawyer mocked my profession.

As I sat in the witness stand she said, "being an artist was nothing but a pipe dream," and that I "would never be successful".  She then compared what I do to selling "pink fuzzy bunnies".

Of course, it was pointed out to me by my partner that there are some incredibly successful companies that made a business out of selling fuzzy animals including Amazon, Webkinz and Vermont Bear Company.

However, more to the point, this isn't the first slap in the face I received as business owner and painter.

Really the insults began while my boys were just starting school. I can't count how many times I have been asked to come and volunteer my time or my donate my art to a fundraiser.

Just because I work from home in my studio. Would they ask another parent to come in as often if they worked under someone else's roof? Would they ask a dealership to simply donate a car?

My business is no different than pedaling cars, insurance, bicycles or dish washers. The only real difference is that I am making it myself instead of in some plant in China or bank on Wall St.

Some people collect cars, tools, electronics, music, stuffed pink bunnies or Star Wars action figures.

Other people collect art.

What I've discovered is that people want and do collect my art.

To all the well-meaning people that love me, if you really want to be helpful, think about how you can make my business more successful through referrals to art collectors, interior decorators and gallery owners. When a friend is talking about painting a room, doing a mural or having a portrait completed give them my name and email me an introduction.

For the well-meaning but ignorant people stop by my studio or visit me at an art show and learn more about what I do. I love talking about my business and my Vision.

For the haters? Well, haters are gonna hate. I'll ignore them and just focus on living well.

As a young child I always created art -preferring to paint and draw rather than  join my friends at the mall. I loved copying Cezanne, Van Gogh, and Matisse.

As a college student I studied art, design and painting.  As an adult I found, not only did I have a desire to make art professionally but also to teach people,  young and old,  how to express and explore their own creativity through art making.  I strive to insure the students understand there are no mistakes in art. And to recognize that what they perceived to be a 'mistake' could actually be far better than what they intended.

I taught my first art classes to some of my neighbors' children many years ago in my garage and have always wanted to do more of it. A couple years ago I made a proposal to a local preschool to teach a pilot art class once a week, and found that I still enjoyed teaching art, very much.Preschool Artwork Exploring Textures

It was another 3 years before I got up the courage to teach adults.

I had studied felt making for a number of years by now and believed I had something worthwhile to share with others who wanted to learn the craft. I have taken many classes around the country with many teachers. Some much better than others. In my teaching,  I wanted to incorporate what worked for me and eliminate that which was not helpful.

What made a successful class for me was based on several different factors. Did I learn what I signed up to learn? Was the instructor organized and their instructions clear? Was the class well paced?  Did the teacher understand my questions and answer clearly? Were they patient and take the time to explain something in a different way if I wasn't able to understand their explanation? Were there hand outs or reference materials I could take home? Were all the supplies there that were supposed to be ? Was the equipment in working order and were there enough supplies for everyone? Was the space pleasant to work in and did it function well?  Did the teacher have enough samples to show the class? These criteria are what I hold myself accountable to.

Surprisingly enough,  if I didn't have 'fun' at the time,  I didn't count that against the teacher.  I found that taking a week long workshop to learn a new skill can be quite stressful. Fun was a plus but not a requirement.

And this seems incongruent but, in the 5 hour class I teach at  Nice Threads Fiber Gallery and Studio in Black Mountain, North Carolina , called 'Designing a Nuno Scarf''  I do  want people to have fun as well as learn new new skills. So far,  the feedback I  have received has made me very happy. The comment made that I exceeded the students' expectations really made my day.

Public Art Project on Tour in Basel, Manfred Kielnhofer

Shared by Austrian artist and designer Manfred Kielnhofer. The “Light Guards” project is further developed and become a ghost car touring in Basel art show during June 15 – 19 2011.

http://artobserved.com/2011/06/ao-on-site-art-fair-news-summary-and-final-photoset-art-42-basel-2011-in-closing/

Eccentric art was also at Basel, if not as dominant a presence as the traditional buys. Ghost Car by Kielnhofer was a large white van with hooded figures driving outside the fair, and the Bleifrei (which translates to Lead Free in German) Art Collective told Art Info: “Art is like Jesus; it died and it’s coming again.”

Manfred Kielnhofer, Ghost Car (2011) Basel, via Kielnhofer.com

The grim seeker after truth
Anyone wondering why these grim reaper style figures were seated on this white van - look no further than the latest installation from artist Manfred Kielnhofer. He is from Haslach an der Mühl, in the district of Rohrbach in Upper Austria, Austria, and is an artist and designer whose work usually centres around the human anatomy. His recent piece of art is the Ghost Car, which is a product of the developing ‘Light Guards’ project. This project surfaced from the theory that humankind has always been able to boast having guardians in different ways, in potential danger from only themselves. This idea intrigued the artist Kielnhofer, who approached it with his artwork, intertwining the theme of longing for security harboured by all humans. The Ghost Car portrays a sizely white van driving, seating sheet-covered figures. Perhaps this reflects individuality, exploration and recognition of current events in society, as it seems to interpret the theme by suggesting the hooded figures are looking to the drapes and car for protection as they are possibly ghosts, who are afraid of the life after death, and long for safekeeping.
By Alessia De Silva
http://austriantimes.at/news/Panorama/2011-08-06/35422/The_grim_seeker_after_truth
http://kielnhofer.com

Originally posted on my HappyArt.com blog

Recently I heard from a gal who is planning to set herself up in the self-designed note card business when her full time employment ends within the next year or so. She contacted me for some advice as to how to go about some of the basics. I’ll start by addressing some of her questions.

Marketing Yourself

Q: These are the things I don’t want to deal with but understand it’s all part of marketing yourself. I know that when I get to the point of selling that I want to do it online mainly because that seems to be the most simple way of marketing products.

A: She uses the phrase “marketing yourself” which is an awesome starting point because as we who have been doing this for awhile know – it is all about marketing yourself. There are a zillion super talented artists out there in the world so one of the major tasks of any successful artist is to find a way to get noticed and separate yourself out. This is accomplished using a matrix of available tools not the least of which is building your own tribe of ardent followers.

Hello shows, competitions, fundraisers and social networks; face-time and online versions. As with any new product seeking entry into an overloaded world of buying opportunities what sets your work apart from the rest, what makes it unique and tempting usually has a lot to do with the back story of the product; its promise. Your Mission with it.

Simple? Ummmmm…..

The other word that caught my fancy was “simple”. When done properly and well coordinating your online presence probably couldn’t be characterized as simple. Able to be done in one’s pajamas, yes. Simple, not so much.

Set up an Etsy Shop

Use Etsy Well

Q: One area I get stuck on is where to market online, do I open an Etsy account or create my own website

A: Yes! Both. Without question. Esty is a nice interface for creating a safe shopping experience for your potential customers. It’s also hugely popular and thus jammed with page after page of awesome items created by others! But no matter who you are or what you’re selling you can’t count on your Etsy store doing all the work for you.

Happily there is a network devoted to sharing insights as to how you can maximize your potential selling experience on this super-popular art buying site. Check out: the Estypreneur site. Join it and start learning from successful Etsy artists immediately. Also, friend me there when you join! I’m Songpony.

Same name as my Etsy store. (Why Songpony? I market several of my creative existences via that store – and quite frankly wasn’t entirely sure where Etsy was headed when it first came to my attention several years ago. I didn’t want to devalue my work if that’s where it was headed – much like I think eBay did to artists early on. Songpony was a pseudonym – I got HappyArtStudio later on – my dog is using it currently.)

Your Own Site

But Esty isn’t your only solution – you need to design a beautiful website where you can:

• tell your story,
• add layers to the experience of buying your work for your customers and
• personally connect with them.

On your own site you can control how your customers view your work and interact with you. There are so many options for creating gorgeous fully integrated experiences these days – I won’t get into them all here. I will say I use a self hosted site with WordPress and a ton of widgets installed to integrate my multiple online HappyArt presences with each other.

Here I can show people my new work, give them access to some of my archived things as well as create a sense of depth to the commitment I’ve made to my art through my lists of accomplishments, shows and upcoming plans.

Why blog?

To keep your information freshly updated for practical human and search engine reasons. Be real, timely and entertaining or informative when you can. Again we’re talking about creating legitimacy for your message and mission with your work.

Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Beyond

Facebook has become the king of all the social networking sites for artists (and just about everyone else) to connect with their tribe. I only just started using it for my re-entry back into the art career so I’m still in the beginning stage of gaining followers for my HappyArt Facebook page. Set up a page for yourself right away. Do not use your personal presence for your business.You want to keep your personal self sacrosanct and part from your professional self. Keeps your messaging better targeted and clear for your customers.

My Merry Horses account is a whole other story! She’s been at the Facebook thing for about a year and a half and has over 5000+ followers now. These are people who pay attention when this persona of mine mentions things. It is among my goals for HappyArt to eventually create a similar following.

Twitter is a bit wanky. It’s a great tool for keeping some buzz going – but you have to keep up with it and know that what your tweet slides down the feeds fairly quickly. There’s all sorts of interesting articles available about how best to use your Twitter account. Again it’s all about relationship creation, building and maintenance. Do avoid overtweeting your sales pitches. Big turn off. Instead Tweet about the behind the scenes entertaining aspects of your work, your travels and other relevant content that helps build your work as a brand.

YouTube is a great place to build depth to your process or inspiration to embed into your blog. Also if you’re a natural born teacher with something to teach you can set yourself up as the go-to expert on your particular subject via this fabulous medium. Lots of artists have which has turned into new ways to monetize their creativity!

Pricing and Marketing Logistics

Q; The other thing I get stuck on is how much to charge for my notecards and if I sell one card or a group of cards?

A: This is a biggie. Let’s break it down.

How Much to Charge

Ah, the age-old question. Materials + Time + Related Expenses (marketing time, packaging time, shopping and shipping, time to get materials in, professional services, taxes, etc etc etc) + profit. It’s as easy and as tricky as that. Oh and don’t forget to research what the typical price range is for what you’re selling! You don’t want to go too much over what people typically pay for something like yours – nor do you want to under price your work. Do your research! And do be sure to compare apples to apples. If your note cards are giclee printed on acid-free recycled paper with earth-friendly soy inks – you can definitely get away with charging more. AND you’ve identified some very marketable selling points for your work!

You can work your equation backwards or forwards depending on your expectations for this new career. If you intend to clear $50,000 annually you have a number you can work backwards from as to how to identify how many sales that needs to be. If you’re clearing $1 a card that’s 50,000 cards or an average of 136 a day. You get the idea.

So now she gets to decide how she wants to package them! As a group you probably want to put them in some sort of attractive display. These can be had – but they’re not free. Depending on how many you buy at once a note card display box can add as much as a dollar or more to your expenses. Again work your numbers – see what makes sense!

Building Your Tribe

Making money as a professional self-employed entrepreneur artist is a lot about being a successful small business person in addition to harnessing your creative excellence. To do so consistently is more about perseverance than it is about luck. You need to make your work known, make it available and stand behind it every step of the way. You have to be fearless, you’re working without a net. You have to make it accessible and available! Sometimes this means taking it to the streets. With this in mind street fairs are a wonderful way to spread the word about what you’re doing! Art Fair Insiders is an awesome network that connects artists with opportunities in this realm. Join! It’s free too. Friend me there as well.

Look for competitions – enter and when you win announce it! Again, it’s another way to build buzz for your ‘brand’ and add to your list of accomplishments – something customers love hearing about. Makes you all look smart with impeccable taste!

You will absolutely delighted to discover how nice and helpful other artists are. It is the one thing you can always rely on in this otherwise very challenging business. These are Your People. They are on your side.

Shows

Selling at outdoor or other venues with other artisans or at farmer’s markets, fundraisers, etc, requires a lot of thought and pre-planning. Just as an intro to what this entails you’ll need:

• a tent
• tent anchors (for wind)
• displays for your note cards
• will you accept credit cards? You’ll need to set that up
• receipts
• inventory (you have to know what will sell and bring a lot of it!)
• business cards, etc etc

There’s a whole lot of planning that goes into creating an acceptable and attractive booth for a show. If you intend to try for juried shows – then you need to look at a whole other set of accoutrements too – not the least of which would be the original art presented to the jury in gorgeous photos along with your jury fees etc. Farmer’s markets work for some people – especially if your subject mater can be related to that crowd and your price point is snappy.

A Whole Different Approach

If all of that seems overwhelming – luckily for you there’s a whole different way you can generate some income with awesome cool designs. Hello Zazzle and CafePress! On sites like these you can upload your designs and offer them for sale with a small mark up that goes into your own pocket. They’ll produce things like t-shirts, calenders, mugs and note cards, as well as a bevy of other temptations.

The Wrap Up

So creating a successful business for your art is a challenging but hugely rewarding line of work. For me having to wear so many hats to maintain relevance is actually one of the bonuses. It is hard to get bored! It’s risky, exhausting and very very challenging – which is why successes are so dang sweet!

I wish you much luck with your journey. And stay in touch when you start building your presence!