Goals For 2015; And, How'd I Do On 2014 Goals?

Last night, I read an article by Dr. Wayne W. Dyer where he suggested that we not make resolutions or set goals for 2015. It was about "living in the moment" and "being present." While I agree that we could all do a better job of those things, being successful in art requires many things including talent, productivity, and marketing. I work more effectively with a plan. Last year I set goals. I found it inspirational. I didn't meet all of them, but every three or four months I would reread them and assess what I was doing well and where I needed to devote more time.

In 2015:

Shows (we may be moving...can't really plan this category yet)

1. Making our Marks:  New Work by Eight Printmakers, March 7 to March 29, 2015 in the Popcorn Gallery at Glen Echo Park (MD)
2. Apply for a show at Johnson Center for the Arts in Troy.

Productivity

1. Do at least one new mixed media bird for Making Our Marks
2. Learn to sketch with pen/watercolor (practice, practice, practice!)
3. Spend at least two days a week at Crystal City Studio (11:30am - 3:30pm)
4. Complete grass series
5. Continue glass class on Wednesdays at least every couple of months.
6. Paint at least one large or two small/medium watercolors every month
7. Do three more Auburn watercolors so that I can have a card variety pack. (Thinking Samford Hall, one of the Eagles that fly at the games, not sure about the third)

Organization

1. Standardize size of work to fit standard frames. Use up or sell all frame inventory that doesn't conform.
2. Implement an inventory system.
3. Frame rest of certificates and Vale Poster.

Marketing/Commercial Pursuits

1. Reach 1000 Facebook likes on my art page
2. At least double my newsletter subscriber list
3. Move/add artwork to a different website for customers to order prints.
4. Approach UMW at church about selling remaining prints and cards of the LWC on a commission basis.
5. Design Brochure
6. Convert some designs to fabric.
7. Make some commercial retail products by stealing my own designs.
8. Participate in Daily Paintworks (regularly...weekly? not daily)

Below are the goals that I posted at the end of 2013. Comments and additions are in red.

Shows

1. Collective Ink (Feb 15 - March 16, Popcorn Gallery @Glen Echo Park) Check. Love the Lee Printmakers!
2. Vale Arts Show (May 2 - 4, Historic Vale Schoolhouse in Oakton) Check. Great experience! New Friends!
3. Have a solo show of watercolors. (Fall? After Vale Arts show in May) Did not apply.
4. Have a solo show of bird prints. (ASAP after Collective Ink) Did not apply.
5. Enter at least three national or international shows. One. (The Artist's Magazine) Two regional (CVWG and BWS)
6. Central Virginia Watercolor Guild
7. Potomac Valley Watercolorists 40th Anniversary Show
8. MANY Local monthly shows!

Productivity

1. Stick with January "30 in 30 Challenge" I did it! Great experience!
2. Spend at least two days a week at Crystal City Studio (11:30am - 3:30pm) Nope. I will be trying this again!
3. Make enough pieces to do Art Cards, Vol. II (52+), if Vol. I looks good. Thanks to the 30 in 30, I have more than enough. Vol. I was cool, but the formatting wasn't perfect. I will probably print more of Vol. I when I print Vol. II...soon.

Organization

1. Get mailing list into ONE file that is label ready. I did, but swear there are additional names somewhere.
2. Add Paypal buttons to ALL website items. Yep.
3. Standardize size of work to fit standard frames. Choose 3 or 4 sizes. Use up all frame inventory that doesn't conform. I did make work for some of my frame inventory. I'm getting closer to determining actual size, lol.
4. Implement an inventory system. Well, I found one online, but it was tedious and didn't work for me, but I now know what I want/need. It will be on the list again.

Marketing/Commercial Pursuits

1. Find at least one out of town gallery to sell my work. (Santa Fe? Florida Panhandle?) No, but I researched a few Florida places I would like to contact. I also learned that galleries DO NOT like you to stop by and talk about representation.
2. Convert some designs to fabric. No.
3. Make some commercial retail products by stealing my own designs. No, but still a brilliant idea. ;)
4. Complete a painting of The Little White Church and participate in AUMC bazaar. YES!
5. Complete Destin watercolor and show it to group that asked to see it. Make notecards. Yes.
6. Approach Keever about selling notecards. No.
7. Put fused glass and jewelry in a shop in Old Town Alexandria!
8. Opened an Etsy shop!
9. Got into Gallery Underground!
10. Applied to Artsy Shark (turned down)

Fun!

1. Try Yupo. Yes!
2. Try alcohol based inks. Love! And have sold most of my paintings done with them! Yay!
3. Try fused glass. (January 8th) So fun! And, I've sold quite a few!

My Month of September Paintings

I was really excited about doing the 30 in 30 challenge in September. I planned ahead and was much more prepared than I had been when I spontaneously committed to the challenge last January. I saw no reason why I would not succeed.

Instead of reading all of my reasons why it didn't work out so well, you could just go read Lillian Connelly's post at It's a Dome Life. She pretty much wrote what I had planned to. I did not fall ill during the challenge, but life definitely got in the way. School begins after Labor Day where I live, so that coupled with EVERY organization that I participate in having meetings, board meetings, etc., etc. AND beginning September 10th my daughter got a part in a musical that rehearses 17 miles from our house (read 45 minutes in DC traffic) and you can see that I needed to have painted far, far ahead to make this work out. I did paint in my car a few nights, but to be honest the novelty of that wore off quickly.

What good things did I learn?

1. I experimented with some fancy sample watercolors that I had been wanting to try.
2. I learned that my children may be teenagers, but I am not in a place in my life where I can take "a month off" from my job as COO.
3. Beating myself up about not completing the challenge is just silly. Leslie said it was supposed to be fun. When it quit being fun, I knew I had to reassess.
4. I need to paint more often that I have over the summer. The only good thing about super cold weather is fires in the fireplace and the desire to stay inside to paint.

Besides the 30 in 30 challenge, I did paint a large commission painting in September. (Yay me!) I've also done some work on a large piece and some jewelry pieces for a show next month. I had a big clearance sale of some prints too. Sometimes, I just want to do too many things in a finite time period.

I hope that you enjoyed seeing the works that I did paint. Thank you to everyone who clicked "like" on my Facebook page and especially to those that clicked "share." The more people who see my work, the more potential there is that someone will fall in love with a piece and make it their own.

Congratulations to Jennifer Cantu who won my contest connected to the challenge. I was not surprised that she was randomly selected as the winner, because she faithfully shared so many of my posts with her friends!  I do not know which painting she will end up choosing, but if you have your eye on one, you better snap it up on my website ASAP!

Artists: Do you do your own framing?

I was back at the framer today to pick up the last two frames for Art:(un)Vale'd. Not counting the time it takes to go get the frames and glass, it takes me at least an hour to cut the mat and get it all put together properly and the dust cover and hanging hardware attached.

Doing it myself helps to keep the overall expense down, but I'm starting to wonder if I should just charge more for my paintings and let the framer do it all. I could have created two paintings in the last two weeks in the time I've spent framing. That seems like it would be a better use of my time.

I would love to hear from other artists who do works on paper. Do you do your own framing?

Celebration Day!

After a lack-luster Christmas season art wise, January has been AMAZING! I credit a lot of the success to Leslie Saeta's 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge. Above is a collage of the paintings and pieces of artwork that I made during January 1-30. Nine of them sold. Below is a collage with the sold pieces indicated by a red dot. Thank you so much for the support and encouragement if you purchased any of them.

My original plan was to do ALL 4" X 6" watercolors. I did not do that, but I did do quite a few of those and decide to make a collage of just those to see if I have "a style" in the smaller format.

My watercolors are usually large; I tended to paint more realistically in a smaller format. I think that the smaller watercolors have traits in common, but are not as distinctive. I have a few favorites though. The earlier ones are on display at Stifel & Capra in Fall Church, VA. I will be framing several of the others for shows around town.

Another exciting thing that happened in January is that I started painting in alcohol inks on yupo. Both the medium and the surface are new to me. What fun! What a struggle! I've by no means conquered it or explored its possibilities!

I hope your January was one to be proud of. See you in February!