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The Business Side Of Things

Tuesday, March 11th, 2008 by Alyice

Have you ever wondered how some artists are able to make a nice living doing what they love? Have you ever stopped to ask yourself, “How do I get there, too?”

Art is such a subjective thing in that what one considers to be art another does not. And so, in order to succeed as an artist, one must be willing to be susceptible to the criticisms of others. That’s no easy task for an artist. Artists create with their souls and their works are an extension of who they are on the inside. It’s like that expression often used when someone is transparent in both body language and words. But instead of saying “She wears her heart on her sleeve” we say, “She wears her heart in her work.”

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I suppose that’s why you often hear artists of every gender, age, and media say, “I’d rather be in the studio.” It’s hard to be told how to create something. It’s hard to be told that something you created, in which you thought was simply brilliant, was missing its mark. And yet, those are things an artist must endure when building a business around their works.

That’s why I was excited to discover Alyson B. Stanfield’s new book, “I’d rather be in the studio: The Artist’s No-Excuse Guide To Self-Promotion.” It truly is jam-packed with thought provoking questions designed to make you think about your art in a whole new way.

Are you a hobbyist or are you an artist on a mission? Do you want your art to replace your income or do you simply want it to supplement your income? And if you do want to make an income from your art, how are you going to get there? These are questions you’ll ask yourself as you delve into Alyson’s book. And these are questions you’ll find answers to if you use her book as the home study course it was designed to be.

As someone who already runs a successful online business, there’s a lot of information I already knew, like using the Internet and the press to promote my business, taking advantage of blogs, websites, e-zines, and utilizing online networks. But there were so many other things that pertained specifically to the art industry that I did not know and that’s where I got the most bang out of the book. Like did you know that an “Artist’s Statement” could mean the difference between getting into a gallery showing and being turned away—even if your work was good? Did you know that too much talking during an exhibit, about your work could turn buyers off, but just the right amount could actually get you the sale? And did you realize that you can actually begin following up with past buyers—even if it’s been two years from the sale?

Seriously, if you are thinking about making money with your art, increasing awareness about your art, or taking your current art business to the next level, you’ll want to pick up a copy of “I’d rather be in the studio.” There’s some solid advice in the book. In fact, I have several pages earmarked for future reference.

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Marriage Canvas

Monday, March 10th, 2008 by Alyice

This week-end I began work on a new canvas, and today it is officially finished. I had so much fun putting this canvas together because it represents second chances—this is the second marriage for the spouse. The couple complete each other in a way that brings them true joy and happiness and because they have many of the same likes and dislikes it makes hanging out together loads of fun.

I began the canvas by painting a thin layer of white gesso. Then I spread a thin layer of molding paste over the canvas. While the molding paste was still wet I added several hearts I punched out of scrap papers. Then I used a heart shaped stamp with deep indentations to add more texture. I let the canvas dry over night.

The next day I painted the canvas using Golden fluid acrylics and Liquitex Basics acrylics. When I got the color scheme I was going for, I added the photo of the couple (which I had previously decoupaged). Then I added more molding paste to shape two more hearts into the painting. I also added the lettering. I let the painting dry over night.

The next day I used an oil pastel crayon to outline the heart and rubbed the color into the canvas using my fingers. I then painted the hearts and did a little more painting of the canvas itself—to give it a deep rich color. I then let the canvas dry. When it dried, I grabbed a bottle of Diamond Glaze and poured it over the two hearts and the letters. I inserted tiny beads into the two hearts and let the canvas dry over night.

This morning I finalized the piece by applying two coats of Delta Ceramics Satin Exterior/Interior Varnish; a polyurethane super resistant coating. Then I spent the better half of the morning trying to take a decent photo of the canvas.

I give product photographers a lot of credit because taking a good product photo is no easy task! I had blurred shots, shots with discoloration, and shots that simply couldn’t be used thanks to light glare. And if I got too close, in an effort to really show off the detail in the canvas, the couple’s faces became distorted. I was ready to pull out my hair, let me tell you!

But finally, I think I have a photo good enough to be shown—at least I hope so!

Keep Creating

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A Canvas For Jenna

Wednesday, February 27th, 2008 by Alyice

Yesterday I began work on a new canvas and you won’t believe what I did. Well, maybe you will. I forgot I had paint on a brush from another project I was working on and I saw an area that needed a little more color so I grabbed the paint brush, dabbed it into some paint, and commenced to “touch up” the area. Well, let’s just say I made a mess! The color turned into an UGLY-Y-Y (did I say ugly?) mud color, right there on my otherwise beautiful canvas!

I could have slapped myself silly. I literally had to walk away. I had these gorgeous, vibrant, translucent colors of blue, purple, and green—quite dreamy if I might say so myself. And now I had to do something to make it all balance out and of course, that would mean saying good-bye to the entire vision I had in my head. (Luckily it was my vision and not my client’s or I would have had to start over from scratch.)

I pulled out a darker purple and a darker blue and began fixing the damage I had done when I once again discovered that mistakes are fixable.

Copyright 2008, Alyice Edrich
Image © Alyice Edrich, 2008
FYI: Forgive if photo is fuzzy, still dealing with eye issue from Bell’s Palsy.

When I showed my now 13 year old daughter the completed piece she said, “Mom, I actually like this better than the original. It’s much more interesting. And because the colors are darker you have to really stare at it to see the details and find things. I like that.” And by finding things, she meant the hidden butterflies.

Now here’s hoping Jenna, from California, will like it, too! Of course, she won’t find out until Christmas because it’s an early Christmas present—which reminds me….It’s never too early to Christmas shop!

Keep Creating

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