Newletter

January 12, 2014

A couple of days ago I mentioned how a newsletter is such a great marketing tool. Yesterday I discovered that I lost all my email groupings for my newsletter so I am at square one.  It took me a year to compile a list of emails.

The reason for this loss is because our computer had some kind of meltdown.  My husband was able to revive it, but my email list for newsletters was a casualty. 

I'm not sure what the lesson is or how to avoid this, but now I have to start over and will give Mail Chimp a try this time. 

PLEASE LEAVE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS IN TOP RIGHT CORNER TO HELP ME START AGAIN. 

Just to have a photo, here is a photo of the studio I share with Larry Southworth at LibertyTown Arts Workshop. 

30 day Challenge

January 11, 2014

Today I thought I would try the challenge on Daily Paintworks.  It's a great place to get ideas of subjects to paint and a way to challenge yourself. 

Here is my effort, trying to keep loose brushwork and using what I learned from Quang Ho's dvd about painting the light and tonal painting as an approach.   I was also thinking about what I learned from the dvd about figure painting. 

30 Day Challenge

January 10, 2014


Over the holidays I watched the DVD set by Quang Ho.  It was so inspirational.  He summarized the important concepts so well and demonstrated while describing his ideas about what is important in a painting. 

While I was painting this little one (6 x 6) I kept thinking about what he said about shapes and values and painting the light.

I'm including this in the "30 Day Challenge", but am embarrassed to say this is only the 3rd painting for me and it is day 10.  I was obsessed with organizing my studio and it is still not finished, but I can let go for awhile and get back to painting.

I'll put this on ETSY.  So far that is working well.  I'm mailing the salt and pepper shakers today.  Here is a photo of that one.  I figured out how to put the mini-ETSY shop on the side of the blog.  The instructions were pretty good.

Wow, this photo is really bad, that is why improving my photo taking skills is one of my goals.  The painting looks better than the photo.  

Still Organizing

January 9, 2014

NEWSLETTER  - one last item for goals from last year

I forgot to add sending out a newsletter  to "Things I did last year that worked".  I am mentioning this because it is probably the best way to publicize your art.  I think it was the most helpful so if you are just starting to market your art, it is probably the first thing to do.  I use Microsoft Publisher to do mine.  I've looked into "Mail Chimp" and other online services, but they are still too complicated for me. 

ORGANIZING

1 - I left lots of magazines on the table at my studio for anyone who would like them.  It is hard to give them away, but with downsizing on the horizon, it must be done.  There are more come.  I started working on the basement, too. 

2.  I reduced the prices on some of my gallery paintings at LibertyTown.  I need to make room for new paintings.  I have more paintings at home to take to LibertyTown, that's next.

Goals for New Year

January 8, 2014 - time to think about goals for new year



I have almost finished re-organizing my studio.  It was out of control and I couldn't even work in here.  It's taken me over a week to get about 50% of that finished.  I haven't even painted very much. 

 It was about this time last year when I decided to do my annual reorganization of my studio and  learn more about marketing and online resources.

THINGS I TRIED LAST YEAR THAT REALLY HELPED:

Joined Daily Paintworks website in January 2013and currently have 289 paintings listed.

Started a website.  FASO is the one I use.  There is a link to it on the right of this page.

Participated in Leslie Saeta's "30 Day Marketing Challenge".

Participated in Leslie Saeta's "30 Day Painting Challenge" in September.

Started showing paintings at Heather Boutique.

Joined ETSY last month as another place to sell paintings.

Added Facebook business page and advertise on that page:  Carol Josefiak Fine Art


RESULT:

I've sold a lot more paintings and feel that I have improved my painting skills.


COFFEE BREAK:

 

 

GOALS FOR 2014

 

Keep learning and improving skills.  Take at least one workshop.

 

Create a group of paintings with a theme (a body of work)

 

Work on photography skills.

 

Paint in a larger format.

 

Continue 6 x 6 paintings.

 

Utilize existing marketing plan

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

January 6, 2014

Thank you to my grandchildren  Maggie, Lillie and Cece for these creative gifts.  I'm using the book filled with ideas to paint and encouragement. They are awesome!  I'm blown away by their talent. 

Here is my painting from yesterday for the Leslie Saeta challenge and Daily Paintworks.  I'll put it on ETSY, too. 

"Lounging" would be a good title for this one.  Darwin likes to lounge on the couch. 

January 3, 2014

I'm already behind in the "30 Day Challenge" with Leslie Saeta.  This is my first entry.  My granddaughter gave me a fantastic present for Christmas.  It is a book that she made with ideas for painting.  I'll post some pictures of it soon, along with photos of the creative and beautiful gifts each granddaughter made.  That will be for tomorrow. 

For now here is one of her ideas and perfect for the snow that we got here in Virginia. 

SNOW DAY - SCHOOL IS CLOSED

Getting Organized

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

12 Days of Christmas - Day 9

Leslie's blog is tips from different artists about organization.  It is just loaded with good ideas.  The tip I included was organizing paint tubes into plastic bead boxes, something I included on an older blog.  There is a good prize for the winner. I'm hoping to win this one.  

 

Good Luck to everyone who enters.  


http://lesliesaeta.blogspot.com

12 Days of Christmas

Tips for the studio

Leslie Saeta is doing a "12 Days of Christmas" on her blog.  I missed Day 1, but  to enter for Day 2 just include an a tip that you use in your studio to save time or helps in some way.  There is a prize if you win best idea.  My entry is the tip about using old socks to keep brushes clean while painting. 

Even if you don't enter, it is  loaded with ideas that are time savers, ways to be organized......

Thank you to Leslie, once again.

Here is the link to Leslie's blog:  http://lesliesaeta.blogspot.com/2013/12/the-12-days-of-christmas-day-2.html#disqus_thread

Christmas Tree Farm

 

Happy Holidays

Abstract Painting

December 4, 2013

I tried something new with an abstract painting and I like this approach. 

First, I did a contour drawing of guess who, my favorite model, Ziva.  Of course I will include of photo of her, well, at least a painting of her. 

  
Very loose drawing of Ziva, sort of a contour drawing with dark and light shapes.  (She is sitting next to me on the couch, our favorite spot every night.  The dark area is the back of a chair.  Can you see Ziva?  oops, there is a shadow in the photo that should not be there.

This drawing gave me something to use as a start for the painting and it motivated me because it included Ziva. 

 

I used some of  the colors that I liked from the abstract painting of the boats that I did recently and included most of the shapes from my drawing.  Do you see Ziva here?  It actually looks best rotated once to the left, but I still know Ziva is there.