Creative Call To the Botanical Gardens

This week we began a new Fall Semester with our artist friends from the
Church of the Highlands.

We visited the Botanical Gardens to see the new show by Amy Crews.
Amy spoke with our group a few semesters ago with great inspiration (see archives)
We can't wait to start again, as we study Creative Call and discover what God has in store for us in new techniques, shows and inspiration.

Melanie Morris is leading the pack...

We hope these glimpses of Amy's work will inspire you!

Allison

A NEW SEASON BEGINS

We began our first meeting for the fall semester today and have a great group.

Forstall Art Center sent Ernie Elridge to kick off the meeting with coupons and announcements on some great classes.

Our own Melanie Morris will be teaching on Oct. 11, from 9-3
Acrylic painting Workshop

go online to see their schedule
FORSTALL ART CENTER

We will study the CREATIVE CALL and paint on alternating weeks so there are
no excuses! By the time the group ends, together we will create more than 5 pieces together...enough to pick one to enter the ENERGEN show!

Come visit!

CREATIVE CALL ON SUMMER BREAK

I have been missing my artist friends....

We have not met since May....
just about the time things wind down for the summer we are all reflecting on the heat, families, outdoor time...

looking for new subject matter....

I have spent quite a bit more time in my studio as my children are with their father for five weeks this summer....

I recently interviewed an incredible artist from Dothan who sells her paintings nationwide for tens of thousands of dollars.

Her inspiring story will be in an upcoming issue of Southern Beauty...so I don't want to spoil the story...but I will say, I was moved by her dedication
and share with artists...

she does not wait for inspiration....or seek motivation...

she enters her studio at about 7-8 pm....
she begins working....painting....planning...
and she paints throughout the night...with no phones..no distractions...
until sunlight...

and then she sleeps til noon...

I didn't ask her WHEN she began this schedule as I feel certain it might have been AFTER her son was grown...but the fact is...

her painting is SERIOUS....
her time there is SCHEDULED....
and her family respects that time...

I was amazed too that she TAKES PRIDE IN THE FACT THAT HER PEAK CREATIVE TIME was at NIGHT..

how many of us creative people begin with an idea at 11 PM (my peak time...at least it USED to be before a 3 year old...:) )
or are awakened with a story or idea at 3 AM (what IS IT with that hour anyway?)

and we apologize..or go back to bed...with a song that dies there on our pillow...
because it seems too UNUSUAL!

I challenge you artists...to EMBRACE THE ARTIST...
slip to the studio...get a pen light....

don't let the genius get away....

SAVOR your UNIQUE gifts that come to you in the dark....
and pick a night with a full moon...
drag an easel outside and GO WITH IT....

Then next fall when we RE convene...

We will have made another revelation...
not only are WE ARTISTS...but we can come to appreciate WHEN IT IS THAT WE ARE AT
PEAK performance...

gotta go...I feel a painting brewing up inside!

Blessings and I miss you TONS!

Allison

ENERGEN SHOW

This week we gathered our group and met at the ENERGEN show in Downtown Birmingham to support our fellow artistic role model..who is becoming "quite the famous character of the bunch" with an entry in the SHOW!

Hats off to Justine Rynearson (read last weeks blog for info on her "tips for fast painting")

Her painting is shown above along with a "mugshot of the group"
less Melanie..who had a flood in her basement! We missed you Melanie!

Justine Rynearson Demo

Justine did an incredible job demonstrating FAST PAINTING, based on a workshop by Robert Burridge. www.RobertBurridge.com

His incredible paintings make us "bright painters" glad to be alive. They are bursting with color and vitality...and would inspire a monkey to pick up a paintbrush!

Steps to take:
1) Determine the focal point, the STAR of the show.
Ours was a big yellow flower in a still life we set up.

that area will be the lightest, brightest or most detailed of the painting.

2) Determine the darks to be against the focal point
They will be also emphasized with color..
if the flower is yellow...the complement is purple (usually the color across from it on the color wheel) but the fun part about painting like Robert is that there is no "black and white"...purple is anything between red and blue (the colors that make up purple)...that can mean deep red/violet or it can mean bright, sky blue...

IT IS YOUR PAINTING..USE WHAT YOU SEE!

Of all of the messages..the most important is to be loose!
Even in dipping your paint..put the paints on the floor..use a long brush,
straight arm..and reach down...use loose strokes driven with your full arm extended.

Justine uses a messy orange range of tones that she selected from her color wheel that was created by Robert.

The formula is : spice, spice, dominant, complement

This day she picked...yellow as the dominant..
and the complement being between blue and warm purple

She arranges the colors in the tray in a similar arrangement. He uses tubes of
pure color..no mixing..the mixing is in picking what the eye sees.

"And don't forget, every painter needs good music", Justine told us.

We listened to Justine's Shane and Shane.

After blocking in lights and darks, you have to determine how the light hits.
She used a huge brush to put in the darks...using the complement of yellow..
a dark purple..and since purple is made of red and blue (always thinking here!)
we use that splash of red to add SPICE and throw in some bright blue...sky blue perhaps...

YOU CAN'T MESS UP...IT'S ACRYLIC...ACCORDING TO JUSTINE...
NOTHING GESSO CAN'T COVER UP AND THEN YOU CAN START AGAIN...

HOW REFRESHING!

And Robert also uses his hands...
His wife markets his work and sets up workshops....
he paints and paints and paints..
starting with little exercises (shown of justine's)

Robert does these "little gems" every day.

We also did studies of how the light comes into the vase and where it goes
out...AH.......SO MUCH TO LEARN!

Take our still life...and try your own!

The Highland Artists.

Cultural Alliance- DETAILS

I have gotten a few request for info on the Cultural Alliance Workshops.
These are great opportunities to learn more about how to progress to the next level as an artist.

The first was turning passions into profits.
MARKETING YOUR ART

1) You represent your art, do so ON PURPOSE.
2) Renew contacts with gallery owners, other artists, media, editors.
Keep your name out there... NETWORK NETWORK NETWORK

All of the most current projects I am working on were from just talking to people.
Shannon Lindsay, Publisher for Southern Beauty, was looking for a writer...she asked one person in our group, she gave them my name, and she asked a friend of my sister's for a name...which was mine (as my sister told her also about how I love to write) and there it was..she had heard my name three times. We talked, I gave her some work for a couple of issues and now she has asked me to be Editor of the SOUL Section.

The publication, Bay Monthly, in Mobile was looking for artist submissions, my friend, Susan Willingham (also an artist) passed me the email address and I submitted. My painting will be in the magazine just as I am having my paintings featured at a local Interior design shop (Merrill Miller's Interiors- Orange Beach) and in a hot new fashion boutique at the WHARF. This helps THEM as they are mentioned in the magazine for free in my credits section AND it helps me..as they are glad to have my paintings there this month.

WIN -WIN...it always works.

The writing of the book for Birmingham Sketchbook
also came about in a similar "word of mouth" way.

So keep your channels open- in both directions.
As the author, I have also been given the opportunity by the publisher to market the book, set up book signings, etc. In doing this, I have offered for all of the artists to be a part of these signings, so that they too can propel their scope of influence by sharing their artwork and contact information during the signings.

We also have a core group who want to do shows together.

In becoming a serious artist, we need to be good, according to the workshop, at describing what we do.
1) Create an elevator speech...a few sentences to tell what you do and why..capture emotion.
2) Create an artist biography- written
3) Artist statement- What you do and WHY
published articles, clubs, awards, shows, committees

Determine your AUDIENCE
Know their demographics
Price point your art
Know how to reach your audience

Surveymonkey.com has incredible info. You can send them a picture of your art and they rate it, tell you what they like, don't like, how to price.

Attract Sales
at Galleries, Gift Shops, Art Shows, Hosting your own show at your home or business.

At NABO, Natl Assoc. of Business Owners, show there..think outside the box!

When SHOWING:
Have prices at different levels
Create an emotional connection
Show who you are
Have things to keep people in your booth (coloring for kids?)
Be REAL

Printing:
HAVE A BUSINESS CARD..with your art on it.
Brochures, postcards...get your pictures out and let them speak..
in your emails...
Portfolios..picture books...do a professional look
Thank you notes with your paintings

Online Print Resources
Vistaprint.com, kodakgallery.com, shutterfly.com, snapfish.com, evite.com for invitations are GREAT ones.

Keep these simple

Have a website...blogspot is So easy...www.blogger.com
you have no excuse!

Use your name as a logo..on letterhead.. consistent on cards, etc.

Website resources:
godaddy.com (can handle purchases of your work)
facebook.com (create an audience)
askartie.com ***the one by the cultural alliance..great for local Bham area
google adwords
monstertemplate.com
smallbusiness.yahoo.com
cheapnames.com
10-domains.com
etsy.com- can upload work for sale
muserefuge.com

to name a FEW.

Cafepress.com does t-shirts and mugs of your work.

Copyrighting and watermarks are suggested.

Publicity:
Donate to auctions
Trade with other artists, barter
Buy small ads in publications

P/R is free advertising.
Create events for better sales.
Get exposure.
Calendar listings of events.
Write a press release. Arts editors in the papers, local mags, newspaper.

Consult with Stephen H. Craft, PHD or others for info on setting yourself up as a business. You may be ready for credit card machines, tax withholdings each month for sales, forming an organization...and NOT in that order...

so get serious about what you do and WHO YOU ARE.
You are a unique work of art YOURSELF...
treat yourself and your art that way!

Above info from seminar by Cultural Alliance
led by Michael Bell and Bradford Kachelhofer, The Modern Brand Company, LLC in Bham.
www.themodernbrand.com


Grants are available and deadline for applications are due May 16, 2008 for
Crafts, Media Arts, Visual Arts, and Interdisciplinary for 2008)
2009- Dance, Theatre, Literary Arts adn Music)

So write them at grants@cultural-alliance.com
or go to the website activeculture.info
to get detailed information and forms.

TIPS FOR GRANTS WRITING:
coming soon

Top Events in the Southeast

There are some fun things to do as Spring Approaches and you begin to get the "fever" to get out of the house.

I found a great website with the Top 20 Events for the Southeast, which seems to be full of good information.

Happy TRAILS!
And while you are out there...get some motivation to capture some of it on film or on canvas!

Allison

TOP EVENTS IN THE SOUTHEAST