Personal blog for Lisa Shea
Left Center or Right?
MerMay is right around the corner, where thousands of artists aim to draw a mermaid a day. I want to get my sketchbook ready!
Let me know if you’d like to see the actual sketchbook and offer suggestions!
Each social media has its own benefits and challenges. Facebook has been around for a LONG time. While that is a feature for many reasons, it also has a built-in issue. The users of Facebook have aged over those years. In the US, the average age on Facebook is 40, and many of the younger users only use Facebook to keep in touch with grandparents. That is great, of course – many older people love to buy art! It just means you want to keep that in mind when tailoring your posts.
The primary posters for the BVAA group on Facebook are me (Lisa), Carol Frieswick, and Bob Evans.
https://www.facebook.com/BVArtAssoc/
Here are the current statistics for the Blackstone Valley Art Association on Facebook. The top set is from May and the bottom set from now.
For this next one, the May numbers are on the left and the current ones on the right.
And again, May numbers on the left and current numbers on the right.
The BVAA slowly and steadily grows its presence on Facebook. We have had people join our group based on finding us on Facebook. People have participated in shows thanks to seeing notice about it on Facebook. We’ve also sold artwork by making Facebook posts about it.
I know a number of artists in our group who have sold artwork by posting it on Facebook.
One key is to make your art-related posts in a public way (that is, don’t restrict them to private). Then encourage people to share those posts. It might be that your own family and friends don’t want to buy a particular piece, but if they can help you share the news, then some friend-of-a-friend might.
Another key is to post with a size and price. If you just post the image, people might think ‘they are sharing a piece they’ve sold’. Make clear that the piece is available, for how much, and its size. It’s hard for people to judge size from a photo.
I have an entire how-to book on Facebook. Also, when I’m at the Uxbridge art gallery on Saturdays I bring my laptop with me. If you want to stop by some Saturday (not on a drop-off Saturday, those tend to be very busy) I am very happy to help you out directly.
Ask with any questions!
Happy hump day everyone! I hope you find some time to curl up with a good book!
Treehouse Library – watercolor by Lisa Shea. Painted with Winsor Newton Cotman watercolors on Arches paper. 8×8.
With musical works and with written works, there isn’t a core concept of an ‘original version’. When someone writes a book, they are expecting to create thousands of prints of it, selling their story to many readers. Similar, when someone writes a song, they are hoping to have millions of listeners buy and enjoy it.
However, with artwork, sometimes artists get hung up on the idea of an original vs copies. Maybe they paint an oil painting of an apple on canvas. Maybe they watercolor paint an autumn scene onto Arches cold-press paper. The artist creates that one original work. Why, then, would they want to create derivative copies?
The answer is the exact same reason an author doesn’t make one-and-only-one copy of a book. It’s the same reason a musician doesn’t make one-and-only-one LP album of their music.
We generally want to reach far more people than just one audience member.
An author only generally has a few options. They can make a paperback, a hardcover, an audio book, and an ebook (digital) version. That’s about it.
A musician can sell LP albums, CDs, and audio files (digital) versions. I’m not sure many people buy cassette tapes or 8-track tapes any more.
But an artist?
Artists have oodles of options. On the physical end of things, an artist can of course sell their original work. Next, they can churn out prints – or paper copies – in any variety of sizes. They can make prints on canvas. Prints on metal. Prints large and small.
Artists can put their images onto mugs. T-shirts. iPhone cases and Samsung cases. Sweatshirts. Journal covers. Christmas ornaments. Pillowcases. Towels.
And then we get into the digital side of things. Artists can sell digital versions of their artwork. These could be used by the buyers for book covers. Holiday cards. Family newsletters. Buyers can home-print their own prints in the exact size they want for hanging over the living room sofa.
All of these options give the artist the ability to spread their talent with the entire world, not just with the one particular person who is able to purchase the original work. It brings the artist into the realm of the author and musician – and then moves beyond it. The artist can reach not just thousands of people in one realm, the ‘hang on a wall’ realm, but in a countless myriad of realms. Holiday cards. Coffee mugs. Baby onesies. Mouse pads. The sky is pretty much the limit.
I strongly recommend that authors, musicians, and artists look into ALL of the possibilities available to them. You’ve already made your creation. Now get it out there!
Only three more days until MerMay begins! And my new watercolor tubes just came in in time from the UK! I’m so excited!
Here’s the colors. I’ll post links to the videos in case you want to watch me testing them out.
I think the mermaid tail should be Viridian – what do you think? Or Emerald?
Unboxing the Winsor & Newton Cotman Watercolor Paints –
Putting the paints into their new palette –
Creating a color chart for the Winsor & Newton Cotman watercolor paints –
Ask with any questions!
Back in January 2023 on my Instagram account, after posting various watercolor paintings, I got a request from someone for a commission. The request read:
“Where are you located I’ll like you to draw a picture of my son’s pet for him I went through your page and I think I just fell in love with your art work I want you to draw a picture of his pet with his name written below the drawing…”
I talked with them a bit and they sent me a photo of a dog. They kept asking for my PayPal account info to send the money.
I did a first test watercolor painting to see if I could even manage it. It came out OK but the dog’s face didn’t feel right to me. The Instagram user said they loved it and kept asking for my personal info. I said I would do a PayPal invoice and asked them to let me know what address to send the invoice to. They stopped responding, and while I prepared to do a second painting, I never moved forward with it due to that lack of response.
Just now, in April, I received a fresh request for a commission from an entirely different account. Their request had nearly exactly the same wording as the January one. It read:
“I’ll like you to draw a picture of my son’s pet for him went through your page and I think I just fell in love with your art work I want you to draw a picture of his pet which will have his name written below the drawing.”
As you can see, they are nearly the exact same request.
When I pointed that out to the person, they stopped responding to me.
I recommend that artists be cautious. I know it’s exciting to get a commission request, but make sure it is wholly valid. Don’t give out any personal information. Offer to send THEM an invoice to document the process, and have them be the ones to provide details. Always use a safe transaction system for the payment.
Ask with questions!
EARTH RAT
Lucky people who were born between Feb. 7, 2008 – Jan. 25, 2009 are part of the Year of the Earth Rat! I adore this beautiful image created by Giovanni. The embedded 2D flowers remind me of stunning Millefiori-style flowers made famous by the Murano glassmakers of Italy.
Giovanni’s design integrates the textures of the earth with colorful flowers. Earth rats are known to be down-to-earth and wonderful friends. They tend to be kind and sensitive to others’ emotions. Rats are quite intelligent!
Appreciate the rat!
FIRE PIG
If you know someone born in February 17, 2007 – February 6, 2008 that is the Year of the Fire Pig!! Here is a delightfully cute Fire Pig created by Giovanni. I love the flaming eyes!
Piggies are a symbol of good luck and great fortune. That’s why piggy banks for saving money are shaped like pigs!
Treasure the piggy!
Giovanni does commissions!
I love art of all styles. I also enjoy the Fletch movie series. When I saw that the 2022 version of Confess, Fletch was going to feature art throughout, I was thrilled!
The core of Confess, Fletch is that someone has stolen art from a rich Italian man. Also, the man was kidnapped and the kidnapper is demanding a Picasso as payment. Fletch is brought in to find the missing artwork and bring the Italian man home safely.
There is a WEALTH of beautiful (reproduction) artwork featured in this movie. We have art from Picasso, Monet, Klee, Warhol, and many, many others. It’s amusing how the world-famous art just ‘pops up’ in the background of scenes.
Even the premise of why Fletch is in Boston is amusing. He claims to be there to research for the biography of a fictional Western cowboy artist Edgar Arthur Tharp Junior. He digs at the detective for preferring Remington. Fletch sneers, “You would”.
All in all, a quite delightful art-related movie!
Let me know your thoughts!
Tonight Friday March 18th 2022 from 6-9pm is the opening reception for ArtsWorcester Material Matters show. This is a call-and-response show based on art from the Fitchburg Art Museum.
If you’re local, stop on in!
Mine is on top.
Inspired by: Safaa Mazirh, Aouchem
“The original image was by Safaa Mazirh from Morocco. She created a multiple exposure with her body overlaid with the shapes of her family tattoos. For my response, I created a multiple exposure with my own body overlaid with my family Ukrainian Easter eggs. I wore my pink nightgown because the image of the six-year-old girl killed during the War on Ukraine in her pink unicorn pajamas was just so heart-wrenching.”
