My friend Marlene's table - simplicity at its bestThis fall it seems I did more thinking and talking about art than actually creating it. This is not really a bad thing because I feel I've gained a tremendous amount of knowledge from the blogs I follow and I've considered topics I would never have thought about otherwise. posts have led me to books which have expanded my horizons. Writing posts ov my own blog has been a learning experience. The responses to posts are often just as informative as the posts themselves.
I go through these periods where I am not productive but I always swing back. I feel the interest in creating slowing rising to the surface again. Kathy wrote about "showing up" on her blog, but I have been accepting the ebb and flow of my creative instincts for several years, but this coming year I'm going to try out "showing up" in the studio for a block of time each day. I also want to dig more deeply into marketing my art. This is an area that I really need to contemplate because I have too much work stockpiled. Currently The Leyton Gallery of Fine Art in St. John's carries my work and the relationship has worked well for me. The gallery provides opportunities through the year for participation in group shows and I had a solo show there last year. This year I answered a call for a themed group show in Ottawa at Cube Gallery and participated in Pix and Paint which was an exciting milestone for me. I'm ashamed to relate that is all I've done this year to bring my work to new audiences.
I'm hoping you, my readers, will respond with at least one idea that relates how you have marketed your art work.
8 comments:
Merry Christmas, Margaret! In the coming year I want to focus more on building a body of work and less on the jewelry making side of things. Although I do very well with that I feel I should be creating more art and marketing it. My plan is to create a portfolio of twenty or more mixed media pieces and then to approach galleries that I think are appropriate for my work.
Hi Gina,
This is a good plan for you . I'm glad to hear you are planning on spending more time on your mixed media work. I have to say I also like your jewelery. Hopefully you will be able to do both by dividing your time. I look forward to seeing some of your new work.
Marketing one's art is always a challenge and time consuming. I'm starting to branch out into some prints and cards and have approached some stores that are interested for 2010.
Like Gina, I am going to work on a more cohesive body of work and also hope to apply for a grant to enable me to do this with a gallery exhibiting the pieces at the completion. All pie in the sky right now, but hopefully do-able.
I will still sell small pieces on Etsy. I also want to network with other local artists and hope to generate enough interest for an exhibit at some point of work of various individuals a couple of times a year.
I will be putting all my ideas down on paper - at least virtual paper and posting them in my blog once I have a firm plan of action. The act of doing so makes me accountable and more prone to move ahead.
Hi Margaret, I have no doubt that you'll succeed in fulfilling your goals for 2010! And, I'll look forward to reading in your blog exactly how you did it :)
Dear Margaret,
When it comes to marketing, I am still playing catch up to most of those you and I know.
Like you, my pendulum has swung into self examination, technical research and understanding of materials. Never the less in the meantime I have been taking the first steps into establishing my two blogs with a website on the drawing table for autumn of 2010.
Because of the economy recovery being slow and art not on everyones list, especially larger works of art, I have decided to create a smaller collection that would be sell for between $90-120 Dollar.
The plan is have my blog offer Pay-Pal by the summer when I hope to have the collection finished.
Since I have not found local venues like art groups ideal, I am trying to figure out what to do, since the Internet is limited.
However I do believe that we still have not tapped into alternative ideas simple because we have not thought of them. This is were it becomes challenging but we cannot give up hope.
Warmest regards,
Egmont
Margaret, I'd say that you have some great goals and I'm confident you will accomplish them. Showing up every day is the best thing you can do for your work. Even on my busiest days I make sure to take at least 10 minutes to create. It never fails, that 10 minutes usually ends up being much more, but once I get started, it doesn't seem like it.
Marketing myself is my area of focus this next year. Maybe we can figure this all out together as the year progresses.
Happy New Year!
-Don
Hello Margaret, nice to meet you. I like what you said about creative cycles and agree that 'talking and thinking' about art isn't lost time.
One marketing activity from last year? I partnered with another artist and an art rep to have more people at my opening.
a little late, but still: merry christmas margaret! thank you so much for your thoughtful comments, they're much appreciated (as i hope you already know)!
and - happy new year in advance!!
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