I Am Art

The Deafening Silence Of A Library

A few weeks ago a client contacted me about using some of my artwork for a new project. The artwork they wanted to use was large abstracts on canvas. I loved the idea and agreed to it (I am sworn to secrecy until next year) but I was not quite sure how to format my artwork for their needs because it was not digital artwork and I am an old school artist. I wanted to learn how to work on this project myself and I wanted to actually have a clue what my client was talking about when it came to formatting. I started checking out classes at my community college and found out that if I got a library card I could take some classes for free through the library at my own leisure. Perfect, especially since I love learning but hate school.

The most difficult part of the library card issue was finding the entrance to the parking lot. I think Trader Joe's parking lot designers must now be designing library parking lots. Anyway, our fancy new library has the type of floor that makes squeaky shoes squeak even louder. I squeaked the entire way from the entrance to the library card lady's desk. And then I unzipped my purse to get my ID out and the sound of the unzipping action was really unusually loud. It was so damn quiet in this library that it was freaking me out. Everyone had earbuds in while they were reading or working on the computers, heads bobbing to their own tunes. In this Starbucks generation, I think it is time the whole antiquated "be quiet in a library" thing ends. People take their work to Starbucks or Barnes & Noble because there IS noise there. Who can work in the loud, deafening forced silence? I totally get wanting quiet if you are trying to sleep or meditate. In a library, I want my mind awakened! I want sounds and sights and textures. I would also like a cafe in my library (see Black Diamond, my dream library that we had the pleasure of visiting). Silence is distracting, especially when punctuated with people coughing or sniffing or tapping their pencils while they think. It made me think of prisoners being sent to solitary confinement. Silence is a punishment!

I could not get out of that library fast enough, which everyone heard because my shoes squeaked all the way back to the exit.

 

 ____

Shop: Limited Edition Prints, Greeting Cards, and Pillows | Original Art

 

Experiment Number Two: Instagram Art Shop

Experiment number 2 is underway! For this experiment, I am posting artwork for sale on instagram only, with the tag LINDAWOODSARTSHOP. One benefit of doing instagram sales is there are no listing fees. One downside (if you are neurotic about organization) is it is harder to keep track of inventory. Also, I am not sure how to promote each item yet, and hopefully during the week I will find the best and least annoying way other than reposting the same images.

For this experiment, I posted two new works and two that have not yet sold elsewhere. I am really careful about not offering one piece in two locations because I fear someone buying it in one spot and then someone else trying to buy it in another without knowing it is already sold out. If I end up creating new works for sale during the week, I will add them exclusively to my instagram page. I will try different tagging and description issues as well. I will do this experiment until Wednesday the 3rd. It will be interesting to see what happens! I have no feeling about this method yet.

This is so fun! Stay tuned!

 

 

____

Shop: Limited Edition Prints, Greeting Cards, and Pillows | Original Art

 

The etsy, ebay, big cartel experiment results are in!

Today was the end of my experiment between Etsy, Ebay, and Big Cartel. I created 3 similar paintings and listed one on each site. I used the same quality photos and descriptions for each painting. The paintings were all priced at $50 plus shipping ($6.80 on etsy and ebay, $5.80 on Big Cartel). On ebay, the bids started at 99 cents with the $50 Buy It Now option. I created original works that based on my previous sales of similar artworks in licensing and direct sales sell well for me and are appealing to most art buyers.

 

Here is a breakdown of fees per item:

Etsy: 20 cents

Ebay: 50 cents plus final auction value fees ($3.63) and paypal fees ($1.21)

Big Cartel: No cost. I pay $10 monthly and can post as many items as I want.

I posted links via twitter and facebook to each piece of art once per day for 5 days.
Here is a breakdown of item views:

Etsy: 26

Ebay: 158

Big Cartel: 131

Sales:

Etsy: not sold

Ebay: 10 bids with selling price $24.50 + $6.80 Shipping. Total fees for this sale: $4.84 for a profit of $19.66 (bonus: a happy home for my art! Love that!)

Big cartel: not sold

Potential Customers who emailed for custom or larger works:

Etsy: 0

Ebay: 2

Big Cartel: 3

Other notes that are important:
1. I listed additional items on etsy and ebay that I did not promote at all. For etsy, I listed some of my most popular prints and the most views any of them received was 8, the least was 0. The zero views is on my most popular print! That was a total shocker! The other items listed on ebay each received 9 views.

2. Size was a factor. All 5 emailers wanted different sizes.

One reason I really wanted to do this experiment (aside from me totally loving experiments!) is that I have had a lot of friends the last couple years who lost their jobs in the corporate world and decided to become artists. They would ask me my opinion and I would ask them in return if they wanted me to just be supportive or to be honest. When they chose honesty, I told them it is much harder now to sell art online if you do not already have a following and that it takes an extreme amount of effort to show your work. It is not the same as it was 3 or 5 years ago. I do not think the level of difficulty is worth not living your dream, but I think being realistic about it matters. You have to diversify.  I say I had friends who asked because most of them stopped talking to me after that. The lesson there is just tell your friends they are great and they'll be rich fast!

The other reason I wanted to very openly do this experiment is so artists wondering why their art is not selling feel less alone, less like a failure, less unsure.

My observations:

1. Posting links to your art for sale every single day is ESSENTIAL. Nobody will see your art if you do not do this. Just listing your art for sale on one of these sites is not enough.Posting often and at different times of the day matters. Many of my facebook posts took 2 days to appear in timelines. There have been times when I felt weird posting links to art for sale repeatedly (I know I have discussed this before) but after this experiment and really keeping track of data and visitors, I will never feel that way again.

2. I never need to use or wonder about etsy again. That option is off the table and not even good as a marketing tool.

3. Ebay fees are way too high but I would use ebay again for studio sales.

4.  I am keeping my big cartel shop but need to really access what sizes buyers need and can afford in conjunction with what is easy and affordable to ship. If I could offer the price flexibility that ebay offers alongside my higher priced items, this would be ideal. I will continue to experiment with the 2 paintings that have not yet sold.

If you are doing any type of selling, promoting,  or fundraising, I highly recommend doing one of these type experiments with an open mind and no ego attached. Tell your friends and family not to buy your art during your experiment but if they want to help, have them share your shop link. When you are just starting out, friends and family will want to buy from you to show support and that is great. But when it comes to business, you really need to find out where your buyers are and most importantly, what works for you and what doesn't.

 

This experiment was fun and enlightening and I can't wait to do another one!

 

Both beach paintings are currently available as in my shop.

 

 

____

Shop: Limited Edition Prints, Greeting Cards, and Pillows | Original Art

 

Three minutes of self expression

I've been doing this really fun thing at the end of every day when there is paint left on my palette. I set my timer to 3 minutes and I just paint whatever I feel like with whatever is left on the palette. Sometimes I use a pencil, too, but other than that, it is just the remaining paint and one brush on cheapo newsprint.

Three minutes is not very long which is good because there is no time for doubt or over thinking. Not every painting is a masterpiece or even in the right perspective or scale, but that does not matter to me. I am not really into perfect.  It's just art for fun. It is really interesting for me to see how different the paint colors are depending on what I was working on earlier in the day. This question mark painting is one of my favorites so far and I kind of wish it was on canvas instead of paper. I will frame this one and the others will go in my art journal.

I have posted some here on flickr and here on instagram.

 

 

 

 

____

Shop: Limited Edition Prints, Greeting Cards, and Pillows | Original Art

 

An art selling experiment! Etsy or Ebay or Linda Woods Art

I have been selling my art online since 2000. Fifteen years! In the beginning it was exclusively on ebay, years later, on etsy, and now mostly my own shop. During the last 15 years I have written books, participated in exhibits, been on tv shows and in magazines, done events, taught classes, licensed my art, and have done many commissions. One thing I learned about business very early on is that popularity does not mean more sales or income. It just means more people know you. Making art and sharing it with everyone is pretty much my favorite thing ever aside from sampling the treats at Trader Joe's and hugging my cat.

In the last year or so, with all the ways twitter and facebook and blogs have changed, things have gotten much harder for artists to share their work. Everyone is on facebook but it seems like facebook controls what and when you see what your friends post. I know many artists and non-profit fund raiser people who are very frustrated lately. On one hand, we feel smarmy by repeatedly posting what we have for sale or what we are working on and on the other hand, if we do not post almost hourly, nobody will know! The lack of interaction takes all the fun out of it and I am not just talking about the income. Sometimes it can feel like your art is the one tree falling in a huge forest. Will anyone hear it fall?

I have been doing some experimenting with various social media platforms and selling sites. I thought it would be fun to do an experiment on my own site, etsy, and ebay. I created 3 similar peaceful beach paintings on canvas. Each one is 5"x5" and $50 plus shipping. I put one in my shop, one on etsy, and one on ebay. On ebay, I started the bids at 99 cents with a $50 buy it now. It cost 20 cents to list it on etsy (plus a percentage of the selling price), 50 cents on ebay (plus a percentage of the selling price), and no cents on my own site that I pay a monthly fee for.  I used the same average quality photo and lighting in every photo. Let's see what happens! I will post the results of my experiment in 7 days. 

 

 

____

Shop: Limited Edition Prints, Greeting Cards, and Pillows | Original Art

 

Making the world happier one bite at a time.

I have a long list of causes I would take up if I won the lottery. First up would be getting the god awful double roundabout up the street removed. Then I would work on getting art classes in all the public schools through all grades. If I still had energy, after that I would design better parking lots for Trader Joe's and fitness apparel for women who are size 12 and above. I have a lot of friends who have not won the lottery but still have time to take up causes like autism funding, bike path safety, health care for the poor. I am fairly certain that  I will never be one of those people. I have good intentions but working with people who flake out and are unreliable would just make me insane. I already know the volunteers I'd work with would be flakes and unreliable because that is my curse in life. It doesn't matter if the person is volunteering or paid (see my recent cat sitter for example). But if I were rich, I could just donate all my money to the causes that matter to me and feel pretty good about it.

 

But still, there was a void in my life. Not a big void, but the type of void that happens when you somehow get out of the work at home routine you so carefully crafted over decades, but you still work at home. I am far more inspired when I work on multiple projects at once and if one of those projects can help someone while still being creative and fun, I am all for it. I come up with great ideas when my hands and brain are occupied on non- art related things. I just wanted a little something a little different to work on that would not involve being irritated by the presence of other people. And that is how you know I am over 45. I like to do things alone with the air conditioning on full blast.

A little something different jumped out at me on instagram the other day. One of my favorite bakers is coming out with a new cookbook and needed volunteer bakers to test recipes. This volunteer position was made for me!!! I can do it alone! I emailed and waited and it worked out! I can help make the world a better place by making sure everything tastes good. I can't wait to see how this inspires me in other ways. I am sworn to secrecy on some issues but I will be posting photos of the baking over on my instagram page.

 

 

____

Shop: Limited Edition Prints, Greeting Cards, and Pillows | Original Art

 

Mothers and Sons and the Goldberg-Woods-Dinino Curse

One thing I always remember our Nana saying was that it is so much sadder to have sons because as soon as they get married you lose them to their wife's side of the family. They become their mother-in-law's new son. She said daughters are always with you. I was thinking about this at Brent's prom as Karen would brush glitter off his shoulder or fix his tie (his date was covered in glitter). This photo of Brent and Karen sharing a moment is one of my favorite photos from the day. He may be ready to spread his wings and go off to college but he still loves his mama, which is obvious here. I saw a lot of boys rolling their eyes at their moms on Saturday and Brent was not one of those kids.

I did take many posed photos of Brent and his friends (see my instagram or flickr) but I like the candid photos that really capture what was happening.

Even though the park where everyone met to catch the bus to prom was huge, everyone squished together in one small area which makes taking photos without a frumpy looking person in your shot very hard. I think when it is your daughter going to prom, you take a hundred photos at home before arriving at the park (as we did with Emily).

This woman had a habit of popping up in front of my camera every time it was my time to step in front and snap a photo. I did my best to weave in and out so people could get their photos, but others were not as considerate.

Every time I caught a glimpse of Brent in the distance, he was nervously fiddling with his watch. All kids were fiddling in their outfits, which I thought was cute. So Cal kids are used to wearing shorts everyday.

Brent's date kept having a hair stuck on something issue.

I love that all the kids were taking photos and selfies. In true to Goldberg- Woods-Dinino form, as soon as we got to the park to take photos, a few parents latched on to Karen and would just not stop talking to her. They were so busy telling Karen their life stories that Karen was barely able to get any photos of her beautiful son. This happens every where we go. Karen is a magnet for talkers. I decided it was because she never wears sunglasses. I always wear them because of my eye problem and people can't tell if I am looking at them or not. Some cursed conditions come with hidden blessings. Next month at graduation, Karen will be wearing sunglasses.

Note: Click on images to see them larger.

 

____

Shop: Limited Edition Prints, Greeting Cards, and Pillows | Original Art

 

Original Art: Spring Blooms Hamsa - Pay What You Can

May has suddenly become the busiest month. This weekend is Mother's Day which leaves people either happy or sad depending on your mom situation, and it is also graduation or senior prom for many students. For us, it is Karen's son's senior prom tomorrow.  Of course Auntie Linda will be there with her camera -which reminds me of when Karen's daughter had her senior prom and Karen had just had neck surgery and was in the horrible neck brace. I was so freaked out that people were bumping into Karen at the photo location! Prom moms with cameras are a force to be reckoned with. Remember how I said I hate the phrase empty nest? Well in a few weeks we will be crying because the nest will be empty.
Mercury in retrograde is also coming, so I thought I would cover all bases and paint a very happy hamsa for protection. Perhaps an overload of happy will balance whatever is bothering anyone this weekend.

Details:
"Spring Blooms Hamsa"
-Mixed media on 5"x5" Stretched Canvas
-Sealed with non-yellowing varnish
-Signed and Dated on the back
-There's a sawtooth hanger for immediate hanging.
All of my art is created and stored in a smoke-free, cookie filled environment.
Elements in this piece include acrylic paint, glazes, ink,  and watercolor.
My art represents life- full of drips, splatters, and a bit of blur between the lines. Blur, scratches, and texture in the art are intentional. I like to use imperfect items which adds to the charm of each piece. Colors may appear slightly different on your computer.

How it works: Shipping in the USA is via Priority Mail at $5.75 and to all other countries is $10.00 and will be added to the price you pay. Enter the price you can/want to pay from the drop down menu and the art is yours! There is no judgment involved- I totally get that everyone has a budget and I like to make art available to everyone when I can. There is only one of each final original piece so if you want it, get it while it is available. You are the boss of the price! Scroll down for the BUY IT NOW button.

From my imagination to your home- pay what you can.

 Unavailable

____

Shop: Limited Edition Prints, Greeting Cards, and Pillows | Original Art

 

Original Art Shop Update and Free Shipping

This week I am working on shop updates! Today there are new originals in my shop and I am happy to offer free shipping with code LIFEISGOOD until Monday.

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

 

____

Shop: Limited Edition Prints, Greeting Cards, and Pillows | Original Art

 

Current lingo driving me nuts

Current lingo driving me nuts:

*Trust the process: Pretty much said by every self help guru to make you cry while you do their process, and there is usually a hefty fee associated with it. I have never heard anyone going for a free walk say "trust the process" as they lace up their shoes. If you need to cry and can't, just watch The Descendants or Slingblade.

*Intuitive: Lately I see this word all over used to describe styles of art and cooking. Intuitive painting, intuitive meal prep, often used in conjunction with trust the process.

*In a minute, been a minute, any of the minute phrases: Minute Rice is what I hear.

*Empty nester: I hate the word nest and birds scare me. Why is parenthood reduced to eggs?
*Today for you I have: Said by every contestant on Chopped. What is with the today part? I suggest boy oh boy, have I prepared something special for you! instead.

 

What is on your list?

 

____

Shop: Limited Edition Prints, Greeting Cards, and Pillows | Original Art