The NORMAL CHALLENGED Artist

Artisitic Inspiration is a Jealous Lover

2010-12-01T10:16:00.000-08:00

INSPIRED BY INSPIRATION

How a cooking show and some butterflies interrupted my morning coffee.

I was watching "Avec Eric", a cooking show with Chef Eric Ripert, while I sipped my early morning mocha. When he asked another chef where his inspiration came from it made me cringe. Personally, I loathe being asked that question. I don't want to spend my time thinking about where Inspiration comes from, I want to spend my time expressing Inspiration.

Maybe I'm afraid that if I look to closely at my Inspiration it will disappear, though more likely I don't like to think about it because I don't really know exactly where this constant companion comes from. Inspiration was my imaginary friend for as long as I can remember, it's always been there and it rarely disappears.

Though I don't know where my Inspiration comes from I do know how it gets my attention. Sometimes it will strike me like a mugger boinking me over the head with a full blown concept and sometimes it comes like a thief in the night armed with just a germ of an idea that robs me of my sleep. Often it acts like a nosy neighbor who comes knocking on my door for some sketchy gossip, interrupting my plans for the day. Annoying as it's timing can be, Inspiration has also gently whispered to me numerous times, taking my hand when I'm grieving from a loss and guiding me to a new project to ease my pain. Inspiration has been my best friend and a caring lover at the worst times of my life.

I admit that Inspiration and I have a love/hate relationship. I am never without Inspiration, it constantly bombards me with ideas, smothering me with a constant demand to draw this and write that. It interrupts me when I'm washing dishes, it tugs at my mind when I'm trying to relax and it badgers me to constantly create, create, create until I'm exhausted from the efforts to please. My nature to get things done NOW is in direct conflict with Inspiration's multi-tasking. There aren't enough hours in the day or days in the year to do all the work that is on my Inspiration's to-do list.

My life is littered with sticky notes of Inspiration. It's the bane and the blessing of my life as an artist and I wouldn't have it any other way.

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MY LATEST POP ART CREATIONS - Retro Style Sixties Pop Art goes Contemporary

2010-10-10T11:54:00.000-07:00

Images ©2010 by PopArtDiva.Com. All Rights Reserved.
No permission is given to copy, share, distribute, reproduce, post or print without written authorization.
Contact PopArtDiva.Com for licensing information.

Above are my latest works of Pop Art for PopArtDiva.Com and The PopArtDiva Gift Gallery. You can read more about them at The PopArtDiva Blog - how they came about, what techniques I used, what inspired me, etcetera.

As always all the designs are available on Posters in a myriad of sizes and mediums, T-shirts in assorted colors and styles, cards, invitations, cups, aprons, caps - even cool retro style sneakers and skateboards! All fully customizable and personalizable!

All images are available for licensing for your product, site or business - just Contact Me for licensing details.

To purchase any of the products or art simply click the image or the links below!

RETRO SIXTIES POP ART SKY
POP ART GUITARS
BIG BANG BLACK HOLE POP ART
POP ART SKULLS

POP ART MARTINIS

POP ART HOT DOGS w/ Chips & Soda!

Have a design you'd like to see on tees, cups, aprons & other gear? Create one or create your own store at Zazzle:

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Pop Art Food & August is American Artist Appreciation Month

2010-07-10T09:06:00.000-07:00

POP ART FOOD
Pop Art Burger & Fries, Pop Art Cookies, Pop Art Pie, Pop Art Cake

This is what I've been working on the last month or so - Pop Art Foods. I've wanted to do this pop art edible series for ages and I got started with my Pop Art Cupcakes, then came Pop Art Popsicles and Pop Art Ice Cream Cones then it just took off from there. Having a great time with it too! Next? Pop Art Hot Dogs, what else?

Upcoming art events for August

Just to let you know, August is American Artist Appreciation Month. There should be some great shows and events in your local galleries and museums featuring American Artists.

Plan ahead, call around and see what you can line up to add to your artistic education and appreciation.

I'm searching for some retrospectives on the American Pop Artists.

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Work of Art - The Next Great Artist : Are you watching?

2010-06-17T09:26:00.000-07:00

Two episodes of Work of Art - The Next Great Artist have appeared on Bravo.

I really liked this last episode where they were taken to an electronics "junk yard" and given the task of putting together a sculpture from whatever they could grab and drag back to the studio with them.

Miles - who admits he has OCD - got so disturbed by the mess he took a nap in the junk yard. He also took a nap on his sculpture during the showing. I won't say more - no spoilers here - but he is one of the more interesting participants.

I liked this challenged and kind of wished I was a part of it. It looked like great fun and I love the idea of re-purposing trash into art. Makes me want to run out and pillage my neighbors trash cans.

I rather liked most of the efforts put forth - I thought the judges were a bit harsh on a few. I always keep in mind that art is subjective and each viewer brings their own perspective and life experiences to the party, including so called experts, so all art competitions are a bit pointless in a way. Art is such a personal thing to both the artist and those who experience the work that I've always taken all proclamations of "good art/bad art" with a grain of salt.

Are you watching?
What do you think so far?
Which artist annoys you and which one is your personal favorite?
What do you think of art critics and art competitions??
Would you like to have "nap" as your art medium?

Have a good day and keep creating no matter what anyone says to you.

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Well, Whaddya Know - An ARTIST'S REALITY SHOW!

2010-05-13T16:55:00.000-07:00

Thought you might be interested to know that Bravo TV is going to have a reality show about Artists! After all the love - cooking - racing - snarking reality shows have littered up the small screen we artists finally get our two crayons worth in!

Work of Art - The Next Great Artist debuts on June 9th on Bravo - check your local listings for the times. I'm looking forward to it, I often thought about suggesting one but then I wondered, "how much drama could there be in one of us painting, drawing, sculpting away for cash and prizes?"

How stupid of me! Artists are naturally dramatic and don't you believe if anyone tells you there is no jealousy, envy or any of the other downfalls of humanity in the art community. After 30 years of doing art shows, working in art and advertising departments and dealing with fellow art co-workers, I should know better!

It should be interesting, if not all that based in reality, despite being a reality show. It is television after all and I'm sure ratings will come into play. I'm certainly going to watch with interest and I wanted to share the news with you. Please let me know what you think after the first episode or two! I'll try to get back here and post about it.

Yes, I've been remiss in posting lately - thank the fact that I am buried under a load of design requests and commissions as well as continuing to create for my online stores and rebuilding my website yet again!

BTW, check out the show's website on the link above - they even have an online drawing tool you can doodle around with. I'm going back now to check out the artists they've lined up and I already have one issue with the show - they're all young! Hey, Bravo, old people have talent too!!!!

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Happy Valentine's Day - FREE Art Books for You.

2010-02-14T13:19:00.000-08:00

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

Here's my gift to you - a link to FREE Art Instruction Books you can download in PDF format - including Watercolor for Dummies!

Just click the book cover and it will take you to a page for the download - use the FREE download and just be a bit patient. The file will download as a zip file and the PDF book is in the last file folder!

I just downloaded two free Sydney Sheldon Novels!

Enjoy!

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CREATE A FONT OF YOUR OWN HANDWRITING FOR FREE!

2009-12-18T09:30:00.000-08:00

I discovered this great site where you can create a font of your own handwriting for FREE. I did it and now have my own handwriting style in a font on my computer:

I call is "I Failed Handwriting" for a joke because I actually did fail handwriting in grade school. It was the "cursive" version of handwriting and I failed because I refused to draw some of the letters the way we were supposed to - in particular the "T" because it was so ugly. If it hadn't been the first letter of my first name maybe I wouldn't have been so stubborn, lol.

I am going to do some more fonts here for my own graphics uses too - I'm already playing around using different mediums like pencils and crayons. I think this is the coolest thing since sliced bread for artists and graphic designers and wanted to share it with you!

If you want to create a font of your handwriting go to:
FONTCAPTURE.COM

Merry Christmas and don't say I never gave ya nothin', lol!

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THE CHANGING FACE OF ADVERTISING - WHY YOU SHOULD USE SOCIAL MARKETING

2009-12-08T13:11:00.000-08:00

I've spent way too much time lately trying to convince my clients that they need to rethink their marketing and advertising strategy. The business model of the advertising is changing and it's changing fast thanks to social media like Twitter.

No longer can you just splat a few ads on the tube or in print and watch the cash roll in - your target audience is older, wiser and pretty savvy to the prehistoric tactics of yesteryear's Mad Men. Your buyers are talking amongst themselves about you and your products in under 140 characters. Your customer can now be your best friend or your worst enemy and they can become that in one viral tweet. You can make that work for you or you can let it bite you in the behind.

If you want to sell a product, if you want to promote your brand you also need to be aware that there's a big Purple Cow in the room now and it's the belle of the ball. What's a Purple Cow? Read the book, it will change how you think about marketing and promotion.

It's important that you update your approach to how you establish and maintain your brand. It's important that you get involved with and use social media in today's business climate. I can say that again and again but I can't emphasis it any better or with more authority than this video of Hank Wasiak: From Mad Man to Twitteraholic:

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NORMAN ROCKWELL - A peek into a great illustrator's techniques

2009-12-02T12:23:00.000-08:00

Scout at Ships Wheel is in the Public Domain, as work was first published in 1913 in the U.S. Photo courtesy of Wikipedia Commons.

Thanks to @CheapJoesArt on Twitter I found this great article on one of the artists who inspired me to become an artist myself - Norman Rockwell.

It is a wonderful article that gives artist and non-artist alike a peek into the process of creating an illustration for publication. It shows how Mr. Rockwell created his amazing photo realistic illustrations from photographs that he created and staged as his inspiration and starting point for a rendering. He often used friends and neighbors as his models, "setting the stage" for his visual story using real people, real life and a wonderfully quirky sense of humor.

Much has been said of the fact that Rockwell used photographs to create his illustrations, tracing them onto his canvas for his sketch. I would like to point out that tracing photographs, using projectors and otherwise using shortcuts when creating a rendering is a legitimate method of getting an initial "sketch" down for a starting point. In photo realism this is just a smart way to start and it's a serious time saver for the professional illustrator on a deadline.

Photo realism is just that - a painting so meticulous that it sometimes cannot be distinguished from an actual photograph. Whether or not you like this style of painting, it is an extremely time consuming and technically difficult style. It requires an artist of great skill and ability and Norman Rockwell was an artist of that caliber. His creativity is highly evident in the tableaus he staged and in the humor and changes to facial expressions he instilled in the final illustrations.

Once upon a time the art world considered artists who painted illustrations on demand for magazines or publications not "real" artists - they were called "commercial" artists to distinguish them from "real" or "fine" artists. What a crock. Especially if you are enough of an art history buff to realize that some of the greatest "fine artists" and masters were "commercial" artists!

Exactly what would you call painting the churches, sculpting busts and bronzes of the Medici family if not "work for hire"? If it were not for "commercial" commissions of the past - like the Sistine Chapel! - some of the greatest artists of all time might never have been noticed, their work never preserved and maybe most of it not even created!

As a young girl I found out about Norman Rockwell through my father who worked for the Boy Scouts of America. Mr. Rockwell had done several illustrations for this organization over the years and my dad showed me several examples of Mr. Rockwell's work. You might be interested to know that one of these paintings of a scout, Scout at Ship's Wheel (the September 1913 cover of Boys' Life magazine for the Boy Scouts of America) , was Rockwell's first published magazine cover illustration! It seems like Life and The Boy Scouts of America might have been Mr. Rockwell's modern day Medici patrons.

Normal Rockwell was an artistic genius who had his finger on the pulse of the America of his lifetime and put that finger to work to preserve a visual memory of simpler times and even history. That is what I would call a master of art.

My thanks to The Norman Rockwell Family Agency for allowing the photos and the article on this great American artist thus giving us a look at the creative process at work.

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I did a Star Trek Book Cover Once - And forgot I did it!

2009-11-19T15:25:00.000-08:00

So, I was digging through some boxes that I got out of storage and look what I found! This is a book cover illustration I did ages ago for a Star Trek novel that never got published.

I forgot I'd even done it! Thought you'd all get a kick out of it. I sure did.

Peace and Long Life!

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My NEW Hand Painted Martini Glasses Make Great Snack Dishes

2009-11-11T16:35:00.000-08:00

My new Hand Painted One-of-a-Kind, Original
MARTINI GLASSES

are now available for purchase - just in time for Christmas!

I have missed painting so much that I started to do some small original paintings (The Pop Art Divas) and also some of these hand painted martini glasses. I am having a blast doing art just for myself again!

I'm so tickled with how they have turned out I'm posting them on every one of my blogs, lol. I have plans to use my set for not only serving martinis but for dishing up desserts with some pop art punch and serving snacks and stuff at my cocktail parties - they make great serving dishes as well as martini glasses. . . I also put some votive candles in them for mood lighting!

Check out what else you can do with them besides drink martinis in them:

To read all about them and get more information on how you can order a set check out my new blog dedicated just to my original paintings and creations - The Original Art of Pop Art Diva.

or you can go right to my New Etsy store where I sell the glasses as well as my one-of-a-kind pop art paintings:

CLICK HERE TO VIEW ALL THE SETS of my
HAND PAINTED MARTINI GLASSES
and get ready to give yourself or a friend the gift of One-of-a-kind Happy Hours for years to come!

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Street Art: Joshua Allen Harris' Inflatable Bag Monsters

2009-11-10T13:34:00.000-08:00

Just when you thought you had seen it all in the art world, suddenly someone comes up with something totally new and unique and wonderful. Check out these truly creative, fun and animated sculptures that go from looking like trash to becoming a bag full of fantasy:

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Trompe l'oeil artist Julian Beever - the Pavement Picasso

2009-10-24T07:56:00.000-07:00

Before I start painting today (YES! I have started real life painting again - check it out on The Original Art of Pop Art Diva!) I wanted to introduce you to an artist known as the Pavement Picasso, Julian Beever.

I've mentioned his work before but his talent is so great I wanted to make sure you saw his work. He is an extraordinary UK artist who does these incredible trompe l'oeil paintings on sidewalks. They are masterpieces of illusion and fantasy, viewing them takes you to another world - a world created entirely in chalk.

Because these drawings are soon eradicated by pedestrian traffic, they are temporary and interactive art. Part of the whole experience is how people react and interact with the art and the artist. The only records of these works of art are the photographs taken, the art itself slowly disappears as the world passes by.

I have to admit I hate the idea of the original works of art being destroyed. Beever's work is so tremendous you can look at it for hours. It hurts something in my artist's soul to know that they won't exist in a few days, but it may be part of the art is that knowledge of it's fleeting existence.

It makes you wonder what art is. Is it the actual work that is created, is it the creation of that work, is it the sharing of the work and creativity, or is it the thoughts and emotions that art inspires? Maybe art is all those things.

JULIAN BEEVER'S WEBSITE

What is Trompe l'oeil?

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YOU MIGHT BE AN ARTIST IF . . .

2009-10-14T10:45:00.000-07:00

I'm tweeting YOU MIGHT BE AN ARTIST IF. . . . jokes all day today on my @popartdiva tweet account so give me a follow if you want a chuckle or two OR if you have a good response to "you might be an artist if. . ."

Just having a little art fun!

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Picasso's Citroën - Car Art is an Understatement!

2009-10-07T10:00:00.000-07:00

I WANT THIS CAR!

Is this not the coolest looking car you've ever seen? This is the result when and art meets automotive. Custom car builder Andy Saunders created this absolutely wonderful and truly creative rolling version of a Picasso cubist painting - I think the painting that inspired it might have been: Le Rêve, what do you think?

~~ANNOUNCEMENT! ~~

I am starting to paint again after a hiatus of almost a year and a half - yup, real honest to goodness paintings in acrylic on canvas (well, canvas boards right now). I have started a line of miniature ORIGINAL acrylic paintings called The Pop Art Divas - check them out on my new Pop Art Diva Blog just for them.

I've been doing all digital art since I retired from the art shows a year ago this last May and I found myself badly missing the feel of a brush in my hand and some serious "me" time with a blank canvas. When I found a stack of little canvas boards I got an inspiration - why shouldn't the PopArtDiva paint Pop Art Divas? I love painting faces and I love retro style sixties cartoon style pop art. These little canvas boards made me realize I could do little paintings and this allowed me to create the time for some painting and art for art's sake again!

I'll be doing these in my spare time (which isn't much) and posting them for sale on my new Etsy Site! So far I've gotten 8 sketches done and I'm really looking forward to the painting stage! To keep up with their progress visit the Pop Art Divas Blog.

I expect the prices for these little mini masterpieces to run from around $20 or $25 up to about $100 each, plus any shipping and/or sales taxes. They'll be for sale on my Etsy store but I will announce them as they're created and post photos and stories about them here.

Stop by and read my introduction post and check out the very first sketches for my new Pop Art Divas series of original art!

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JACKSON POLLOCK - Did he hide his name in "Mural"?

2009-09-25T17:52:00.000-07:00

According to this article at Smithsonian.com Jackson Pollock incorporated his own name into his famous 1943 painting "Mural". The author said it was his wife who first noticed the letters "son" in the top right of the canvas. They both then went on to "hunt down" the rest of Pollock's name.

I don't know. Frankly, you can make a case either way. It's very easy to see things in abstract paintings that were not in the artist's conception of the piece. I've had it happen in my work often. The human mind wants to make something "recognizable" from what it sees as "chaos" and so people will see a tree where there really isn't one, or an eagle's head or whatever their own imagination can shove the abstract image into.

I do know that many famous artists have hidden things in their paintings for various reasons so it's not inconceivable that Pollock did this. According to one art expert quoted in the article, Pollock would use some form of figurative device as a starting point for his paintings so maybe with "Mural" he simply used his name. In abstract art this is not an unusual technique if you don't have a concept in mind when you're starting an image. I've done something like that myself - it's like a jump start for your creativity.

You be the judge. I prefer not to try to shove an abstract image into a concrete "thing". Instead I choose to enjoy the play of color, form, texture and energy the artist managed to get on the canvas. Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar and an abstract is just that - an abstract.

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OLD STYLE MAD MEN, "We don't need no stinkin' Twitter!"

2009-09-12T08:04:00.000-07:00

Below is a very interesting and thought provoking video posted YouTube on the Social Media and it's growing influence on how we communicate, interact and even market our brands and products today. There are a few very powerful statistics and points put forth on the growth and power of social media that might shock you:

If Facebook were a country it would be the fourth largest in the world.
Social Media has over taken PORN as the #1 activity on the web.
78% of consumers trust peer recommendations whereas only 14% trust advertisements
35% of book sales on Amazon are for the Kindle

I don't know how accurate the statistics in this video are - too bad YouTube doesn't have an appendix, however statistics aren't necessary to see that social media and the Internet have changed the way we communicate in a radically short amount of time.

I wanted to share this video with you because it is well made and it reinforces what I continually point out: If you are attempting to build your brand you cannot ignore the Internet and you cannot push social media aside as "silly kid stuff" anymore. Watch the full four and a half minutes, it will open your eyes and you won't regret the investment of time:

I don't believe you can consider this new form of communication a fad. Fads are, by definition a "short lived" phenomenon, whereas a trend is "a prevailing tendency", so maybe it's a trend - something that changes course and morphs as it moves along. This is the nature of technology, isn't it? I believe that this is exactly what social media will do and this means it will be necessary for any company or individual desirous of effective marketing to stay abreast of the changes and be able to change course along with this new method of interaction.

Traditional media sources like newspapers and television are losing ground to the Internet. I have gotten news on Twitter sometimes hours before it showed up on the news on TV and obviously way before a newspaper landed on my wet lawn or in my gutter 30 feet away from my front door. Yes, you have to "check your source" on sites like Twitter and Facebook because people will tweet and retweet information they have not confirmed - it is a case of Caveat Emptor or, in this case, let the "tweeter" beware, but it's a matter of a few searches and a few moments usually before I have the "real skinny" on any news item.

What does this mean to those of us who are trying to sell a product, build a brand or promote a service? It means that we now have the same tools at our fingertips that that Madison Avenue has but it also means we can no longer hide in anonymity. Exposure is instant and viral - it means that new ideas and products get great exposure in a seriously shorter time period, what you say on the Internet is out there in a nano second and it stays there.

In today's world you can reach millions or possibly billions with less effort and cost than traditional media, it means even the little guy can get into the advertising and marketing game and become a mini Mad Man or Mad Woman. But it also means that bad corporate moves can become fodder for hilarious YouTube videos, a public relations blunder could turn into a world wide nightmare for a company and a moment of stupidity where you tweet how much you hate your job can cost you that job. The Internet and social media are great tools for promoting yourself and your brand but, like any tool, you have to learn how to use them to wield them to their best advantage.

For myself and my brands - PopArtDiva, The Martini Diva, The Diva of Tiny Foods and, of course, The Normal Challenged Artist - I have chosen to put a very personal and unique face on my image. I bring a lot of my own personality and a lot of my sometimes snarky sense of humor and what my Mom used to call my "smart mouth" to my branding. I am what is termed a "personality brand" as opposed to a "corporate brand."

I do promote my online stores, my website, my products and my blogs but I also share information, link to my free recipes and art, tweet fun information and quotes and I make comments on other content and trends going on that particular day. I interact with fellow social media players and create acquaintances and network with like minded people. I do not try to increase my followers (Twitter) or friends (Facebook) artificially to gain high numbers. I am after quality not quantity. I want those people who link-in with me to actually read what I have to say and pay attention. If they don't then I am wasting my time trying to promote anything.

Primarily I use Twitter and Facebook, as well as Linked-In and a few industry pertinent sites. I do have MySpaces, YouTubes and other accounts as well. I use several tools like Ping.fm, Twitterfeed, SocialOoomph (formerly Tweetlater), TweetDeck, Bit.ly, SplitTweet and a few others to semi-automate my feeds and I spend my time on the top 5 social media sites primarily. I watch the trends and search the rankings to see who's hot and who's not. Yes, it's a lot of work and takes a lot of time. That is why this whole phenomenon has actually created a whole new job classification - Social Media Directors and Account Managers. (Think I'm kidding? Do a search and see how much these jobs pay!)

Whether you are a giant corporate brand, a celebrity, a politician, a soccer mom or an individual artist just trying to make a living with your creativity there's a reason for you to use social media. (Take a look at who's using Twitter!) Corporations are now using it for customer relations, PR, as well as marketing, individuals use it for staying in touch but you can use it to get a lot of exposure and exposure can translate into a better bottom line!

As for me? You may follow me on Twitter as @popartdiva and @TheMartiniDiva and you can friend me on Facebook as well as google my YouTubes, MySpaces, blah, blah, blah- you'll see how I use these new tools and you'll also get all my blog updates and news before they land in your e-mail box!

Happy and Prosperous Tweeting, Friending and Networking to you all.

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LEARN HOW TO DO ART AND CRAFT SHOWS FOR PROFIT AND FUN STEP BY STEP
Click the links below to download my articles for a nominal fee of only $2.50 each:

What Kind of an Artist Will You Be? Define Your Product First.
Creating Your Booth - Making a Portable Gallery That Works
Preparing To Do An Art Show - Getting your art, your booth and yourself together
The Most Important Sales Techniques for Selling and Marketing Your Art

MORE WAYS TO SELL YOUR ART ONLINE - What are you waiting for?

2009-09-07T08:43:00.000-07:00

I am always looking for new ways to sell my art. My last post told you about creating a Zazzle store and selling your art on tees, posters, cups, etc. (that's a screen print of my homepage above) and I hope you looked into it. I now have nine zazzle stores (links below) and they are starting to get some nice sales thanks to my promoting on Twitter, Facebook and my websites and blogs. (BTW, you can see how I market them each and every day if you Follow me on Twitter and Friend me on Facebook!)

Today I'd like to tell you about selling your art as an electronic file. I do this in several ways. I create my art as files in formats and sizes for people to use on the web or to print at several different stock photo and e-download sites. There are quite a few of these kinds of sites out there like Fotolia, iStockPhoto and Dreamstime and PayLoadz, etc. Right now I'm setting up my Dreamstime account and uploading images there for sale.

Now, this is a numbers game. You aren't going to make piles of cash per image BUT remember millions of people are out there looking for cheap images they can use on the blogs and websites or art they can use for printing. It's a licensing agreement between you and the particular site and each site has different requirements and pay scales, you have to determine which ones you want to deal with. (Read their agreements VERY CAREFULLY! You don't want to hand over an exclusive right or even give them the full copyrights!)

The more images you have up the more chances you have of making money, it's as simple as that. You can design images for multiple use too - I create images that I can upload to Dreamstime and other stock photo sites but I also create a layout for use on products at one of my Zazzle stores or other POD (print on demand) stores - there's a ton of those out there too. So far I've used Cafepress and Zazzle but Empty Easel has great articles on the others and even ratings and tips. (P.S. I am closing down all of my paid CafePress stores and no longer recommend it to other artists as they changed their marketplace sales commission policies).

I plan on creating accounts at as many of these sites as possible. It's a time consuming process but the fact of the matter is the more places you sell your art the more exposure you have and the more chances of making money on your creativity. Selling art is a business and you have to work at making any business a success, but if you're willing to put in the time eventually you will be making a nice living from your art on the Internet.

If you're not willing to put in the time but still want to set up a POD store or an e-download account but you have the money to pay someone else to do it for you then CONTACT ME (PODsetup@popartdiva.com) - I have several POD set up packages available. I have done this for many non-artistic and/or non-techy types (see Feisty Side of Fifty's BOOMER BOUTIQUE - I also created the masthead and all the art for her slogans she wanted to market on products).

Take a look at these sites and set up a strategy of how you'll approach your sales and marketing. Think outside the box - try to fill a need out there that people might have for art. I set up a website called Easy Greeting Cards where I reformatted my designs as greeting cards, put them on a template and set them up as files people download and then print out. I use PayLoadz for the delivery and payment service. My thought was that often I need a greeting card to mail out but don't have one and don't want to waste time schlepping to the store for one stupid card - I thought maybe that service might solve a problem. Then I found out about Send Out Cards and I'm going to be adapting some of my designs for them too!

Now, get to clicking and start selling your art in new and exciting ways. Well, what are you waiting for?

The PopArtDiva™ Gift Gallery

The Martini Diva™ Boutique

Carousel Corner

Happy Holly Daze

Taking Care of Business

The Brat in the Hat RANTORIUM EMPORIUM™

Cocktail Napkin Wit & Wisdom

The Normal Challenged Artist™ Shoppe

TweetleBirdie™ - Twitter Stuff

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LEARN HOW TO DO ART AND CRAFT SHOWS FOR PROFIT AND FUN STEP BY STEP
Click the links below to download my articles for a nominal fee of only $2.50 each:

What Kind of an Artist Will You Be? Define Your Product First.
Creating Your Booth - Making a Portable Gallery That Works
Preparing To Do An Art Show - Getting your art, your booth and yourself together
The Most Important Sales Techniques for Selling and Marketing Your Art

MAKE MONEY WITH YOUR ART & PHOTOS AT ZAZZLE

2009-06-24T08:19:00.000-07:00

I am in the process of moving my online POD (print on demand) stores over to Zazzle from CafePress. This is a result of commission policy changes at CafePress that seriously affected the bottom line of my sales profits. From what I'm seeing on Twitter I'm not the only one either.

That being said I want to say that it might be the best thing that could have happened (despite the amount of work that is involved). The customer interface at Zazzle is a much more effective sales arena, allowing you to set up your products to be personalized by your customers in a variety of ways including styles, colors and even adding their own thoughts, names and sayings.

I follow @zazzle on Twitter for their shopkeeper updates and quick question/answer issues. Their response on Twitter is almost immediate which I truly appreciate if I'm working on uploading a new design or creating a new product and need emergency help. (P.S. You can follow me on Twitter as @popartdiva)

Also helpful are the video tutorials at Zazzle's YouTube University Channel - Rob Greenleaf has done an excellent job explaining the Zazzle shopbuilding experience from learning the dashboard right through to training on their store builder software for creating your website store.

I had one little problem with one of the tutorials and posted a comment on that particular video expecting I would have to go back in a few days to see Rob's response. Within an hour I got an e-mail from Rob about my comment/question. Rob works at Zazzle and tried to call me but (silly me) I had a typo in my phone number on my account. That didn't stop him - he then e-mailed me and told me he'd tried to call and would be happy to personally help me with the issue if I provided him with a correct number. I did and within minutes I got a call from him.

Rob spent nearly half an hour on the phone with me! This is an amazing example of superior customer service and support to their shopkeepers. He went above and beyond the call of duty and I have not experienced that level of service in decades - online or off!

Yes, this is going to be a long and arduous process - rebuilding my main store - The PopArtDiva Gift Gallery - and growing my two new stores - The Martini Diva Boutique and TweetleBirdie BUT with this kind of help my job is going to be that much easier.

I encourage any of your artists out there with designs that you think would be great on tees, aprons, cups and other products to give Zazzle an opportunity to help you make money with your art.

And for you artists with hand made, one of a kind creative works try setting up an Etsy store - I'm thinking of doing some hand painted martini glasses for The Martini Diva and that's exactly where I plan to test the designs, promote and sell them!

---------------------------

LEARN HOW TO DO ART AND CRAFT SHOWS FOR PROFIT AND FUN STEP BY STEP
Click the links below to download my articles for a nominal fee of only $2.50 each:

What Kind of an Artist Will You Be? Define Your Product First.
Creating Your Booth - Making a Portable Gallery That Works
Preparing To Do An Art Show - Getting your art, your booth and yourself together
The Most Important Sales Techniques for Selling and Marketing Your Art

Twitter Tees & Gifts on Zazzle - Make Money with Your Art

2009-06-03T11:06:00.007-07:00

X

I just finished four designs for my new Zazzle store: TweetleBirdie - Fun Stuff for Twitter Fans and Other Social Media Lovers. I also have two other stores The PopArtDiva Gift Gallery and The Martini Diva Boutique - both of which I am currently adding designs to as I get them reformatted.

I'm switching over to Zazzle from CafePress over the next few months because of commission payment changes at CafePress. But interestingly enough I've been looking at Zazzle anyway and this just shoved me over a bit faster. I have to say I LOVE Zazzle's customer interface - it's so much more efficient and it allows the designer to give clients a way to personalize if they want - very clever.

It's not quite as easy to set up - not as intuitive - but that's because it's a much deeper interface and allows you to let your customers PERSONALIZE their product, plus it makes more options available on all it's product line. You have a bunch of cool cups, including 2 styles of travel mugs, instead of just one or two, people can pick different tee styles and colors and there's even postage and skateboards you can design! I do wish they had the ceramic tiles though - Zazzle, can you hear me?

Zazzle also has great promotional tools - like an easy to build flash panel that features your products. Check mine out for TweetleBirdie below:
TweetleBirdie

My little window display allows you to stop motion, zoom in on any product, make a comment about the product, rate my products and click to buy right here!

If you're interested in building your own store, check out mine and then click over to their Sell area and "create a store" with your own art. Just click the image below to get started:

Publish Post

Or you can just purchase my fun social networking - social media tees at
TweetleBirdie
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And you can still get my fun NORMAL CHALLENGED ARTIST design on tees & stuff at The Normal Challenged Artist Shop but only here as I have made the store private and just for my blog and website visitors only!

The Costs of Creativity - Artists, Selfish or Genius?

2009-05-20T08:47:00.005-07:00

My friend, Joyce Mason (The Radical Virgo & Hot Flashbacks, Cool Insights) sent me this link to a video about the issues of creativity, the costs of being creative, nurturing creativity from Elizabeth Gilbert that I found extremely interesting.

If you are a creative person I think you will find this video interesting too, especially the points she makes about being a creative type in today's world versus being a creative type in past history - very, very interesting statements on this video.

I also read several of the comments on the video - a few made statements like "self-absorbed". I believe that to be a truly creative individual we must be somewhat self-absorbed and, yes, even selfish. Is this bad? I don't think so - I think we must honor ourselves if we wish to honor and help others, but maybe that's just an easy excuse for selfishness.

So, what do you think about this video and the points made in it and in the comments?

Buy Great Products at The Normal Challenged Artist Shop!

Accidental Art - How a Rowdy Grandma Turns Spills into Art

2009-04-21T08:16:00.004-07:00

I just got through reading a post from Cindy Shepard aka The Rowdy Grandma about how she took the spills, drips and accidents from art sessions with her grandchildren into Accidental Art.

Not only does Cindy see art in things other folks would consider a disaster, she also manages to ease the feelings of her grandchildren and teach them something at the same time - and she gets a new "floor" after every visit for free!

This is what I consider creativity squared! Cindy has taken her creativity and created a win/win situation in her home. Kudos! Cindy, maybe we should start an Accidental Art Gallery?

Read: Accidental Art - One Rowdy Grandma Gets Creatively Smart

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Buy Great Products at The Normal Challenged Artist Shop!

The Sidewalk Chalk Guy - Art on Pavement

2009-04-10T15:20:00.005-07:00

Photo from gprime.net

Believe it or not the image above is really a chalk drawing on the sidewalk!! Sidewalk Chalk Guy is the artist and his work is amazing - all the more so because it's a temporary canvas that can be walked or rained away in a moment! His name is Julian Beever and he does this all over the world.

Enjoy these images and get inspired!

For my latest art and creativity stories visit
Life Is Like Art - It's All in How You Look At It.

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Buy Great Products at The Normal Challenged Artist Shop!

The IMAGINE PEACE TOWER for John Lennon lit tonight - watch live online.

2009-03-21T06:21:00.004-07:00

Yoko Ono announced on Twitter this morning that the Imagine Peace Tower that she created in memory of John Lennon will be lit tonight for one week on Viðey Island, Reykjavik, Iceland, more info at www.IMAGINEPEACE.com

IMAGINE PEACE TOWER is an outdoor work of art conceived by Yoko Ono in memory of John Lennon. It is situated on Viðey Island in Reykjavík, Iceland [map], powered entirely by Geothermal Energy. The artwork was dedicated to John by Yoko at its unveiling on 9 Oct 2007, Lennon's 67th birthday. IMAGINE PEACE TOWER symbolizes Lennon's and Ono's continuing campaign for World Peace which began in the 1960s, was sealed by their marriage in 1968 and will continue forever.

Click here to view the

IMAGINE PEACE TOWER LIVE at EarthCam Control

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Buy Great Products at The Normal Challenged Artist Shop!

HARBIN CHINA - A CITY OF SCULPTURE, A FESTIVAL OF ART - ALL IN ICE!

2008-12-29T07:17:00.005-08:00

I seem to be finding a ton of great art to show you in the last week - probably the universe telling me to get my butt back here and start posting some new tips and advice for selling your art again! I have been neglectful of late because I have been quite busy selling my art as well as moving to a new state (you can read about all my art projects and commissions etcetera at my Life Is Like Art Blog).

Anyway, after finding the wonderful commercial that used stupendous Origami sculpture to get it's point across, the next thing I came across was a movie on The Harbin China Ice Festival and I was blown away!

Take a look at this video:

More Photos of the Ice Sculptures

Photos of the Festival - they light up the sculptures with color at night!

Photo courtesy of Fresh Pics - www.freshpics.blogspot.com - which by the way is a pretty darn cool photo site to check out!
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Buy Great Products at The Normal Challenged Artist Shop!

ORIGAMI REACHES NEW HEIGHTS - Advertising Art

2008-12-27T07:29:00.004-08:00

This is one of the COOLEST commercials I've ever seen - it uses some totally incredible Origami sculpture in a most unique and creative way. Kudos to the concept and a very entertaining commercial! Thanks to Hey Shae! for posting it and giving me a treat!

Origami In the Pursuit of Perfection from MABONA ORIGAMI on Vimeo.

Jan. 21st - It seems that the video embedding was disabled so I took it down - you'll have to click the links above to see the origami videos - but it's worth the clicks!

Buy Great Products at The Normal Challenged Artist Shop!

A Little Holiday Nostalgia - Mary Martin in Peter Pan

2008-12-24T09:27:00.000-08:00

As A Special Holiday Treat for all you Baby Boomers
and Children Who Will Never Grow Up

I am presenting:
THE ENTIRE BROADCAST OF
PETER PAN
Starring MARY MARTIN
at The PopArtDiva Retro Baby Boomer Blog

YESTERDAY: PARTS ONE THROUGH SEVEN
TODAY: PARTS EIGHT TO END
SPECIAL SONGS from Peter Pan

ENJOY THE NOSTALGIA AND
MERRY CHRISTMAS EVE
from
The Normal Challenged Artist

TALENT? Nature or Nurture?

2008-08-26T15:12:00.004-07:00

There are those who would have you believe that creativity can be taught. Maybe. But talent is another thing altogether. I have always believed that talent is inborn - it is not something that can be learned, taught or accrued like money or things - you either have it or you don't.

This video on Alonzo Clemons - The Sculpting Savant makes a statement that we all have similar abilities but they have been "overlayed" by more complex abilities such as language.

Language is more complex than sculpting? I would take issue with that. And if we all have these abilities then why are some people better sculptors than others, better painters, better writers? Is it simply that the "talent" has been overshadowed by other abilities, other concerns in those who do not consider themselves "creative or talented"? Or is there another component to talent/creativity that is part of the equation - a component the "untalented" do not possess?

Something to think about.

Buy Great Products at The Normal Challenged Artist Shop!

FLOBOTS VIDEO HANDLEBARS - Art and Music Make a Powerful Statement

2008-08-16T05:43:00.005-07:00

This is not only music that burrows into the subconscious but the graphic novel quality of the visuals are creative, well drawn and work with the message in the lyrics.

I've watched this video over and over and each time I heard something and saw something I'd missed before. This is powerful stuff and is one of the best examples I've seen of how art, music and creativity can make an impressive statement:

Buy Great Products at The Normal Challenged Artist Shop!

THE OPENING CEREMONIES OF THE 2008 SUMMER OLYMPICS - An Artistic Feast for the Eyes

2008-08-09T14:57:00.004-07:00

What an amazing show! As an artist I was glued to the screen by the truly creative and artistic approach to these ceremonies.

I was totally floored by the calligraphy and Chinese brush painting portion - human bodies were the brush and a giant monitor was the paper - it was amazing!

And the moving blocks were fantastic - if you saw them you know what the surprise is - I won't let the cat out of the bag here.

This video shows just a bit of the genius of director John Imo (forgive me for any misspelling here - couldn't find any reference to him on google!):

Buy Great Products at The Normal Challenged Artist Shop!

ETSY - SELL YOUR ONE OF A KIND ART WORKS EASILY ONLINE

2008-07-22T10:39:00.003-07:00

Though I sell my art through my pop culture art website, PopArtDiva.com and at my online store, the PopArtDiva Boutique I have signed up for an account at ETSY.

This is a website for artists and crafters to "buy and sell all things handmade". From what I've seen they have a great number of artists selling some pretty nice things. It's going to be one of my online stops when I shop for gifts because it's somewhere that you can get a totally unique, handmade item without every having to leave the house!

You deal with the artist for the purchase and the shipping via e-mails and that particular artist chooses payment methods, though it looks like most use PayPal.

I think it will be a great venue for those little projects of mine that I do for fun and to keep my hand in to creating a handmade piece of art. There are times when I just want to do something "artsy" or "crafty" like painting a piece of furniture in fun designs or just trying out a project that looked interesting to me. If I don't want to keep it I now have a place to sell it!

Of course, I have to find the time for these fun, little personal projects on top of all my "money making" art. . . . .

Buy Great Products at The Normal Challenged Artist Shop!

Stop By and Listen to My RETRO POP CULTURE TALK SHOW Tomorrow

2008-07-16T06:53:00.004-07:00

(this is the new graphic I designed for the show!)
TRIPPIN' DOWN MEMORY LANE

A Pop Culture Talk Show that will
Blast you to the Past

Take a nostalgic journey back to in time
with your host
POP ART DIVA

WHEN: July 17th
10:00 a.m. (MST)
1 p.m. (EST)

WHERE:
www.blogtalkradio.com/popartdiva

Call in to share your memories
(347) 326-9293

or simply log on to listen and enjoy the nostalgia: www.blogtalkradio.com/popartdiva

Chat available - Online talk available

Be there or Be Square!

Buy Great Products at The Normal Challenged Artist Shop!

FREE SHIPPING AT MY NORMAL CHALLENGED ARTIST SHOP UNTIL JULY 20th!

2008-07-09T20:02:00.002-07:00

Just in case you've been wanting something from my store. . . there's FREE shipping on all CafePress orders over $65 from today, July 8th through July 20th to any order shipped within the United States.

Use the coupon code FREESUMMER.

So stop by the Pop Art Diva BOUTIQUE where you can get all my pop culture art on gifts and apparel or my The Normal Challenged Artist Shop for free shipping until the 20th!

YES, FINALLY, CREATIVITY HAS A VALUE!

2008-06-24T06:11:00.004-07:00

I watched "The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch" last night, the episode was "Unlock Your Creative Genius". This is what Deutsch said at the very top of the show:

"The number one currency in the world today is creativity. It drives money, markets, products, service - everything, but if you ask most folks they'll say they aren't creative and never will be."

Now, read the first part of that quote again - "THE NUMBER ONE CURRENCY IN THE WORLD TODAY IS CREATIVITY".

I'm sure you have all heard things like "that's a silly question", "You can't do it that way", "WE don't do it that way", "are you crazy?", "you can't make a living as an artist", "stop day dreaming", "get a real job", or something of that ilk.

Guest Marc Ecko (CEO of Ecko Unlimited) calls the people who make these kinds of statements "gatekeepers" and I love that. He mentions "editorial thought leaders" (the "gurus" of art, fashion, education, et. al. aka gatekeepers) as those who validate who we are even though they aren't the consumer we are trying to reach - in other words, they really don't set the rules for what succeeds, sells or becomes a hot commodity - or what is art.

Another guest on the show, Dr. Robert Epstein says that everyone is born with the potential to be creative, however it's "shut down" by those in authority (the thought leaders/gatekeepers.) He says creative types are "misfits" - the people who have something in them that can ignore what the teacher (gatekeeper) says and think "I don't care what you say" and then act on their own beliefs. (He shows a video, the "Pigeon Banana Experiment" as proof of creative potential.)

You, my fellow artists, are among the few who defied the institutions that attempted to drive this out of us. You were born with something that made you question when you were told and pushed you to think outside the box. You have the creativity that is now being recognized and valued by the "movers and shakers" of the world.

So, get up off your duff and get out there and get creative with more than your art! Get creative with the way you market your art, promote your art and yourself. Use your talent for thinking outside the box to create your market or to create something the market wants!

Because, finally, your creativity is being recognized as a commodity and not a quirk. Aren't you glad you're normal challenged now?

CHECK OUT THE "UNLOCK YOUR CREATIVE GENIUS" PAGE at The Big Idea

Show Off Your Creativity with fun tees, gifts and goodies at The Normal Challenged Artist Shop!

SET UP A FREE SHOPPING CART AT PAY PAL

2008-06-16T09:31:00.003-07:00

Selling anything online requires a shopping cart of some sort. There are many ways to do a shopping cart. Your web hosting company (I use GoDaddy- they always answer the phone when I call and no long wait!) should offer a cart for a fee. There are also several web companies that offer shopping carts....BUT. . . .

If you're willing to put a little work into it Pay Pal offers a free shopping cart solution for you. You must set up an account with them and that's not really fun, you have to fill out a bunch of forms, get all your bank information lined up, allow them to verify your bank account blah, blah, blah. But once this is all done you can then go into your account and use their merchant services to build your own shopping cart.

You will need to have some familiarity with html code so you'll feel comfortable inserting the code required. (And there are a lot of free html tutorials online as well as CSS for those of you who want to spend the time learning.)

You can create "Add to Cart", "Buy Now" "View Cart" even "Donate" buttons with their button wizard. You put in your information - product name, price, optional product code and you can even set up shipping and tax procedures. Then they give you a code that you paste into whichever web page you set up for that product.

These buttons when clicked take your buyer to Pay Pal to purchase. They pay Pay Pal and Pay Pal pays you, minus a small fee for processing a sale. You pay nothing until you've made a sale.

Pay Pal can take all forms of payment from your buyer. They handle the financial transactions so you are not forced to deal with any of that, worry over security or keep track of transactions. Pay Pal does it all for you for that small fee. And that fee is usually lower than what your merchant account charges to process a credit card sale for you.

Additionally, you can set up a merchant account with Pay Pal that will allow you to take and process credit cards offline - like at your art show. You have to go through a lot more forms and applications and that service is not free but it is available.

So, check out Pay Pal's services and see what you think. Remember, I'm not recommending anything for you just giving you information and resources to make up your own mind. There, that should satisfy the legal mumbo jumbo.

Buy Great Products for ARTISTS at The Normal Challenged Artist Shop!

WEB DESIGNING TIPS & TRICKS

2008-06-09T08:38:00.006-07:00

The image above is the new layout for my Blogs Page. If you click it you will be taken to my existing page and see the slight layout change - pictures on top!!! If you do that after the end of June 2008 this page will then be uploaded and live along with the rest of the new site.

I am in the process of doing a structure redesign on my main website, PopArtDiva™.com . While I'm at it I am also remodeling the look a bit.

I have learned that most people who surf the net are not that savvy and you have to K.I.S.S. - keep it simple and say it with pictures, just like you would for a 5 year old.

You have to point them where you want them to go, tell them where it is and make it interesting for them to want to go there. Not an easy job when you have limited real estate, about 8 seconds or less before they click away and you're competing with a billion or more other websites and blogs.

I have decided to focus on pictures for my navigation points and leave the text as a secondary element. Most people don't read on websites - they want quick, instant, bullet points and pictures that say "GO HERE". A lot of my text is not good for bullets as I write a lot about my art and the pop culture theme, but I make an effort to keep the text limited and dynamic.
I rely on my images to gain my visitors interest. If the images catch them they will stay and read more and visit more pages.

Here's some of the Tips and Tricks I use to boost my SEO, my page rank and my hits:

My brand icon is at top left, followed by my logo. Mine are unusually large and, if you can, I recommend you make these smaller, but my brand icon is not readable much smaller and I feel it's important to give my logo and my brand top priority as they are the hub of all my web spots.
Under that is my navigation bar that leads to all my major sections. This navigation bar is on every page and, additionally, at the bottom of longer, scrolling pages to aid in helping people get around my site and find what they're looking for.
The left hand column always contains my main keywords - search terms that I expect people to use in finding my site or page. Since this page is about blogging I have used Blog, blogged and all the main terms for each of the blogs I publish: pop culture, martinis, art, TV, movies, pets, etcetera.
The far right hand column is the "cheap" real estate - where the eye usually travels last, unless there is some horrible blinking or flashing movement located there (P.S. Don't do that or allow any offsites to do that either unless absolutely necessary! It will take the focus away from your content!) This is where I place my affiliate advertising. I do not place affiliate ads (Google AdSense, etc) in my "hot spots". Hot Spots are prime spots on a website where the eyes will focus first. I reserve those spots for my own important elements like my brand images, my keywords, my own ads for my stores and blogs and for my key linking images. This website is not one set up to make it's money from affiliate ads, though I get enough traffic that having them in the "poor neighborhoods" to pay for all my web costs! That is my goal for affiliate marketing on this site.
The middle section is visually the prime spot for a visitor, but not for the search engines which will read this section almost last on their spidering! So this is where I put my images which I have turned into smaller icons. I have tried to put as much visual information that tells the story in there as possible while still keeping them readable at these small sizes. These images load quick, they are visually appealing and they tell the viewer what to expect from that click. I always use "alt" tags, text that the search engines can see, to describe the picture and where it's going (keywords again!). Search engines do not see images - they are blind to pictures so you have to remember that and use alt tags!
BTW, I use tables for my layout because this will force the search engine spiders to follow my path of keyword and content crumbs. Additionally, if someone alters the text size of their browser this keeps you elements from accidentally layering over each other and becoming unreadable!
My third column to the right is where I put additional secondary information - like links to other pages, links to my stores, my newsletter sign up icon. This is a good way to get the spiders to search deeper into your site - put links to third and fourth level pages that aren't included in your prime navigation bar.
Lastly I always put some keyword in the very last column at the bottom because spiders will always hit that area before they leave the page. I darken them to almost the color of the background just so they're not too visible to the reader. This information is for the search engines not visitors to my page. If you make it the same color as your background you will get spanked by search engines for it so don't do that!

So there you have it. A few lessons in how to layout a web page! Happy designing and keep checking back for new tips and tricks on web design for artists.

Buy Great Products at The Normal Challenged Artist Shop!

MAD MASTERPIECES - Classical art takes a wrong turn!

2008-05-29T10:51:00.003-07:00

Since I'm especially normal challenged today I thought you would enjoy looking at some great gifts, apparel and goodies with this Mad Masterpiece "Portrait of a Soiled Dove"on my PopArtDiva Boutique.

I have just started this new series where I take old masterpieces and have a little fun with them. This one encompasses classic sculpture, painting and even a little contemporary publication! This is a fun series and I plan on doing quite a few more!

BTW - I was interviewed by Growing Bolder Radio on my Baby Boomer inspired web enterprises recently! Stop by and read the profile and listen to the interview!

Buy Great Products at The Normal Challenged Artist Shop!

Listen to Part Two - Audio Teleseminar on HOW TO SELL AND MARKET YOUR ART

2008-05-27T06:23:00.004-07:00

Here's part two of my "HOW TO SELL AND MARKET YOUR ART" in my Audio Teleseminar Series "How to Do Art & Craft Shows for Profit and Fun" with Ray and Rosie Horner!

There's some great tips on selling your art - for art shows and other artist selling venues!

Click here to get the entire article (The Most Important Sales Techniques for Selling and Marketing Your Art) for only $2.50 at Payloadz!.

Tell the world you're proud to be NORMAL CHALLENGED with some Great Products at The Normal Challenged Artist Shop!

Artists - Tell the world you're Normal Challenged Too!

2008-05-18T07:10:00.004-07:00

THE NORMAL CHALLENGED ARTIST SHOP is Open!

Get this fun image on cups, tees, hats, cards, pillows and other fun products for yourself or as a gift for other artists in your life.

Buy Great Products at The Normal Challenged Artist Shop!

Teleseminar POSTPONED - Sorry!

2008-05-15T15:02:00.002-07:00

The interviewers, Ray and Rosie Horner had to reschedule the teleseminar. Ray is ill and Rosie's Mom is hospitalized so we are rescheduling the teleseminar on ART SHOW SALES TECHNIQUES for a later date.

Stay tuned and I'll post the day and time as soon as Ray and Rosie's Mom are both better. My apologies to all of you who signed up, but we will reschedule soon!

Part Two - Audio Teleseminar on HOW TO SELL AND MARKET YOUR ART

2008-05-14T21:09:00.003-07:00

Sign up for the FREE teleseminar tomorrow on SALES AND MARKETING TECHNIQUES FOR ARTISTS:

WHEN: Thursday, May 15th at 7 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (4 p.m. PST).

WHERE: CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR PHONE NUMBER AND KEY CODE

Click here to purchase the full article which includes all the information from both teleseminars and most sales and marketing techniques:

Audio Interview of Sculptor RUDOLF CAVALIER and Jewelry Artist DARLENE RYER

2008-05-10T09:30:00.016-07:00

My apologies for posting this interview late. I originally planned this to be a video interview but YouTube doesn't allow videos over 10 minutes long and this interview runs about 30 minutes. I am therefore posting this interview as an audio file only. I have captured some nice photos of Rudy's sculptures and Darlene's Jewelry off the video and they are posted below!

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO THE AUDIO INTERVIEW OF SCULPTOR RUDOLF CAVALIER AND JEWELRY ARTIST DARLENE RYAN . The audio opens in a new browser window so you can look at the pictures of their art while listening to them!

Rudy and Darlene's E-mail: rcdart59@yahoo.com

Rudy's Sculptur e Page at All Nation s Tra ding Gallery

LEARN HOW TO DO ART SHOWS STEP BY STEP

2008-05-09T09:58:00.013-07:00

NEWS - New Artist Interview!

2008-05-05T21:29:00.009-07:00

I will be posting a new artist interview later this week after editing the video! Learn more about the artists who participate in art shows for a living as I interview my fellow artists, Sculptor Rudolf Cavalier and Jeweler Darlene Ryer live from their booth at an art show in Sedona, Arizona this last weekend.

These two seasoned art show participants will showcase their crafts and give you their perspectives on what it's like to do fine art shows for a living - and they'll keep you laughing while they do it! Fun people and a fun interview with some great art and information so don't miss it. I plan to post the interview on Friday.

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MY FIRST FOUR ARTICLES ON "HOW TO DO ART AND CRAFT SHOWS FOR PROFIT AND FUN" are now available for download for a nominal fee of $2.50 each at the links below:

WHAT KIND OF AN ARTIST WILL YOU BE?

CREATING YOUR BOOTH - MAKING A PORTABLE GALLERY THAT WORKS

PREPARING TO DO AN ART SHOW - Getting your art, your booth and yourself together

THE MOST IMPORTANT SALES TECHNIQUES FOR SELLING AND MARKETING YOUR ART

And don't forget the FREE teleseminar series on these articles - The audios for Part one and Two on posted here on the right sidebar for you to listen to! Part Three will be broadcast live on May 15th. Participation and sign up details will be posted the week prior to the broadcast.

The Live Interview of "Techniques for Selling and Marketing Your Art at an Art Show"

2008-04-30T12:42:00.009-07:00

For those of you who missed the telecast of "Techniques for Selling and Marketing Your Art at an Art Show" with Ray and Rosie Horner on Monday below is the free audio for you to listen to.

Be sure to SIGN UP TO RECEIVE MY BLOG POSTS via e-mail subscription to receive notice of Upcoming Teleseminars! The sign-up form is on the right side-bar box that says Subscribe to posts via e-mail.

This audio is around half and hour long and I hope it will give you some great pointers on how to sell your art at art and craft shows.

If you have any questions regarding this subject just post a comment right here on this blog or e-mail me at popartdiva@yahoo.com! I read my comments daily and will respond as soon as possible.

Click here to purchase and download the full article, "Techniques for Selling and Marketing Your Art at an Art Show" for only $2.50.

Techniques for Selling and Marketing Your Art at an Art Show

2008-04-23T22:22:00.004-07:00

Tune in for the second part of my FREE teleseminar series on "How to Do Art and Craft Shows for Profit and Fun", live on Monday, April 27th at 7 p.m. EST (4 p.m. Mountain Standard Time and Pacific Daylight Time.)

This second teleseminar will center around the techniques I have used successfully for creating more sales and marketing art at craft fairs and fine art shows!

(If you missed the first part of the teleseminar you can listen to the MP3 on "How to Prepare for An Art Show" at the bottom of this post!)

To join in on this FREE teleseminar visit I DON'T KNOW BUT I KNOW SOMEONE WHO DOES and sign up to receive the phone number to call in and your special bridge number to join the teleseminar LIVE!

Get your questions ready and call in Monday, April 27th at 7 p.m. EST then download the MP3 for future reference!

SIGN UP NOW AT I DON'T KNOW BUT I KNOW SOMEONE WHO DOES

__________________________________
"How to Prepare for an Art Show":

ADDRESSES AND WEBLINKS TO VARIOUS CRAFT FAIR LISTINGS AND GUIDES

2008-04-15T17:15:00.004-07:00

Below are a few of the resources I used for finding and ranking art shows and these are the ones I highly recommend:

Harris Rhodes
List Box 142
La Veta, CO 81055
719/742-3146

Sunshine Artist

Crafts Fair Guide

Art Fair Source Book

The Art List

Below are a number of online guides I found, though I have not used these, some are regional, some niche specific:

http://www.craftsfaironline.com/Listings.html

http://www.smartfrogs.com/

http://www.artfairsourcebook.com/

http://www.craftsreport.com/

http://festivalnet.com/

http://www.artscraftsshowbusiness.com/default.aspx

http://www.craftmasternews.com/

Next: I will be posting resources for your booth elements: canopies/tents, walls, packing materials, etcetera.

BTW - Here's the audio for the first part of my teleseminar series on How to Do Art and Craft Shows:

TUNE IN for my interview on PREPARING FOR AN ART SHOW ON MONDAY, APRIL 13th, 3 p.m. EST

2008-04-05T22:07:00.009-07:00

FREE*FOR*A*LIMITED*TIME
FOR MY NORMAL CHALLENGED BLOG VISITORS!

If you have ever wanted to do an art show for profit and fun then set your calendar for Monday, April 14th, 3:00 p.m., E.S.T. to hear my advice on how to prepare for an art show.

I will be giving the teleseminar interview on "How to Prepare for an Art Show" on the website - I DON'T KNOW BUT I KNOW SOMEONE WHO DOES via teleconference and you will be able to ask questions and get some pointers that are specific to your art media and your area of the country.

I will be covering all aspects of getting ready for an art show from the jurying process all the way to keeping yourself comfortable and fed while selling your art to the public at fine art shows throughout the United States.

The process is a lot more complicated than just painting a few pieces and hanging them on pegboard. and your success and financial prosperity depends on how well you prepare yourself, your booth, your packaging and your marketing so be sure to sign up and get in on the beginning of several tutorials that will bring you closer to your goal of selling your art for a living!

Stop by my website, PopArtDiva.com, to read about my background, my biography and my Artist Statement and visit my LIFE IS LIKE ART blog to see some of my latest work from my Original Painted Sculpture Fusions, my Digital Art to my Graphic Design work.

Some articles and posts I've written that you might want to read before you join the teleseminar:

AN OPEN LETTER TO ALL ART SHOW PATRONS

HOW TO DO ART AND CRAFT SHOWS FOR PROFIT AND FUN at eHow

YES, YOU CAN SELL YOUR ART ONLINE AND HERE'S HOW TO DO IT!

IF YOUR ART GETS STOLEN

PROTECTING YOUR ART AND YOUR BRAND - LET'S GET LEGAL

HOW TO DO ART AND CRAFT SHOWS FOR PROFIT AND FUN OUTLINE

This teleseminar is free if you sign up for the live interview so don't miss out - SIGN UP TODAY and SET YOUR CALENDAR!

AN OPEN LETTER TO ALL ART SHOW PATRONS

2008-03-31T17:54:00.006-07:00

"In today's world the artist is on the endangered species list. The world is increasingly moving towards eradicating individualism from society. Without individualism there is no art, without art there is no beauty and without beauty there is no quality of life" ~ PopArtDiva™ aka The Normal Challenged Artist™

You may have seen them around your town, those white tents and portable galleries, the signs and balloons announcing a fine art show for the weekend. You may have even stopped by to enjoy the pleasure of viewing the talent and creativity on display. You visited with the artists and asked questions about their work and, possibly, you even purchased a new treasure to add to your own art collection. But the art is only part of the unique story of the traveling artist; the real story lies in the road the artist took to get that art to you and why they travel that path.

Contrary to popular myth, the traveling artist is not a happy-go-lucky free spirit, unencumbered by life's realities. The traveling artist has the same mortgages, family responsibilities and life problems as anyone else. These talented individuals have the added responsibilities of any corporation or business enterprise and they must constantly balance these business sciences with their creative qualities. A successful traveling artist is not only a creative individual following their passion but a multi-level executive with knowledge of all the elements of modern business.

Many artists travel each weekend to a different city or state, often driving long hours and hundreds of miles for a two to four day festival. They spend hours setting up their booths; days dealing with the public, and often hazard severe weather, security risks, and even errant wildlife to bring the apogee of their creative expression to the community. They must deal with multiple city and state taxes and licenses, rising show fees and jurying costs, increasingly larger shows and greater competition, the multiple requirements by show promoters and jurying panels and a sometimes uncaring or uninformed populace, all the while maintaining a positive attitude. After all this, there are only two or three days remaining in the week to design, produce and package their art. Their personal life quite often suffers from the hundreds of hours needed to run their business.

You may be asking yourself at this point, "Then WHY do they do it? Are they idiots?" Quite the contrary, most traveling artists are highly educated, the majority holding Bachelor's degrees, many with Masters and a few with multiple degrees or even Doctorates. Most have degrees in the arts, some in the sciences. Almost all have been honored in some fashion for the excellence of their work; many hold the distinction of prestigious national or international awards. Some of these creative people have always been career artists, a few were involved in other professions and came to their talent later. Each person has a unique story of how they became a traveling artist, but the one common thread among all these diverse and intriguing individuals is their passion for their art, whatever form it takes. There is a driving need in each and every one of these people to create and to bring their creation to the people. They suffer the hardships because they believe that art is essential to the soul of mankind. They endure the long hours, inconsistent weather, the tedious drives, the hard labor and the fickle fates to bring you their vision, to bare their souls and give you the gift of their talent and their hearts.

In a society that is increasingly cutting funding for the arts, dropping cultural subjects from its school curriculums, and promoting censure of expression, these traveling artists might just be the last of their kind, the last cultural vanguard in a world closing in on free expression and individual rights.

So, the next time you see those white tents, make an effort to stop. Look at their work with a new eye, talk to the artist and ask questions. And take home a piece of their soul, they made it to share with you and bring you joy. You will be the richer for it and you will have helped save an endangered species.

Thank you,

Terri Dennis, The Normal Challenged Artist™ , creator of POPARTDIVA.COM

If you would like permission to copy or distribute this article, please contact PopArtDiva via e-mail at popartdiva@yahoo.com.

What Do You Know About Prints? A Great Article on the Different Forms of Printing Your Art!

2008-03-30T07:18:00.003-07:00

Have you always wanted to reproduce your original art but don't know much about how to go about it? I have a great article for you:

My friend, fellow artist and Adjunct Professor of Art, Ray Horner, has written a great article on the types of art printing entitled, "What Do You Know About Prints?" that is concise, informative and quick to read that speaks to the traditional, time-honored fine art printing methods for limited edition runs.

In this modern world we artists have additional options for reproduction such as standard digital printing, archival digital printing known as giclees and even color copiers. These are wonderful methods for reproduction at a lower cost and for lower runs which can be utilized for the mass market.

I hope you enjoy this article by Ray - and stop by his other sites for more help, great tutorials, free books and to see his wonderful art!

Ray's Website

Ray's Art Workshop

Ray's Photo Blog

Ray's Figurative Art

ARTISTS - FEED YOUR INNER CHILD!

2008-03-27T06:43:00.006-07:00

CHIP FROM A BIO SHIP is a digital abstract that I redid from an original acrylic painting from a few years ago. I love doing abstracts because they give me a chance to play with art.

I consider "play" to be a vital element in creating art and the inner child has to be invoked for this important factor to work properly.

I believe that the ability to be childlike is essential to being an artist. Children view the world in a different way, they see with fresh eyes and they are not afraid to let their wonderment in. These qualities are essential to those of us who seek to create art.

I often take time to play with art. I will experiment with a different medium, I doodle constantly and I take time to do some art just for myself like painting a tee shirt to wear or a piece of furniture for my home. I've found that some of my most successful series of art pieces come from this playtime. Most importantly, I am feeding my inner child and keeping my love for art as fresh and exciting as it was the day I got my first box of crayons.

Today, stop being an adult. Try something new, doodle, have some fun, throw some paint - play! Wake up your inner child and give that kid a nice, big box of crayons and let him or her color on the walls! It will open up a whole new world of freedom and imagination!

You're an artist? Are you a Bohemian or a Beatnik?

2008-03-21T14:45:00.004-07:00

I frequently stop by The Art Newspaper to check out what's going on in the art world outside of my little bubble. I enjoy this site because it has some good articles and you can even comment on them.

I like to read the articles themselves but the more interesting part for me is reading the comments made by other artists on a particular article. You get a clear sense that artists are just like regular people, we come from all walks of life, have varying philosophies on art and life, and we are all unique.

I wish non-artists would read some of these comments. So many people outside of the art profession have a very narrow view of artists and artist lifestyles. I've encountered a kind of prejudice more than once when I've mentioned my profession is "artist".

I have to admit, though, I am Bohemian. No, I am not a beatnik, my mother's parents were both born in Bohemia, now part of Czechoslovakia. I am Bohemian by birth, not by nature. Though I might sell more art if I wore all black, grew a goatee and started snapping my fingers.

Great Site for Paper Scupting!

2008-03-14T09:36:00.003-07:00

I found this great little blog by an artist who does paper sculpting and they even have instructions and layouts!

I've always wanted to do this so the next spare minute I get (yeah, right) I'm trying it out!

Ciao for Now!

YES, YOU CAN SELL YOUR ART ONLINE AND HERE'S HOW TO DO IT!

2008-03-12T00:01:00.008-07:00

EVEN FREUD CAN SELL ART ONLINE!
THE FATAL FALLACY OF FREUD'S FAULTY FINE ART - An Artistic Parody that speaks to the fact that everyone thinks they're an artist!

It's Free and it's Easy - You have no excuses anymore!

I've discovered that many artists with a very marketable portfolio are not selling their artwork online. The internet is a wide-open marketplace with a niche market mentality. Niche markets are subject or item specific and they are the new pathway to selling anything on the internet.

If you produce a specific kind of art, or art on a specific subject matter (i.e. portraits of Yorkshire Terriers, landscapes of the Hawaiian Islands, humorous women's art, etcetera - you get the picture) you have an ideal kind of art that can be reproduced and sold as posters, archival prints and giclees on canvas and even on products like mugs, tee-shirts, tiles, aprons and other merchandise.

Many artists I come in contact with are lost when it comes to getting their work into the marketplace. They aren't selling their work because:

They don't know anything about digital technology
They don't have a ton of money
They don't know where to get their art printed
They aren't web savvy and don't have a website

Well, I'm here to tell you that none of above is an excuse any longer.

You do not need a full-blown website
You don't need a ton of money
You can have an online gallery page up and running in less than a day.

There are several on line galleries/services on the internet that will print and market your art for you for a percentage of the sale. These same galleries will give you a gallery site of your own to post your art and you don't have to know anything about web design or complex web programs. These sites have online page building programs than anyone can use and they provide several methods for you to get your art to them for reproduction.

You will probably have to have your art converted into a digital file. There are a lot of companies that can scan/digitally photograph art now - including Kinkos and others of that nature. Make sure you inform them that you plan to use the digital conversion for high resolution giclee printing and tell them the largest size you want to print.

Below are a few online Art Galleries where you can create an account, set up your profile, resume and bio/artist statements, and create an online presence for your art and set your art up to sell. If you google "sell art" several more will come up. Be sure to read the terms and conditions of the site and the seller agreement carefully so you will understand the contract you are signing by joining.

And you might want to check out CafePress. (There's an ad link to their site on my right sidebar) You can make your art available on a variety of products and collect a decent commission without any of the hassles of printing, storing, packing and shipping or carrying inventory! (Right now I have a basic, free CafePress store but I'm getting ready to launch a full professional store there later this month with all my art on several products.)

FREE TO JOIN:

Red Bubble

Artist Rising

Image Kind

Art Flock

MEMBERSHIP FEES:

Boundless Gallery Provides a 7 day free trial.

Yessy Provides a 14 day free trial.

THE FATAL FALLACY OF FREUD'S FAULTY FINE ART is viewable in the Parodies Series on PopArtDiva.com. Post images Copyright 2008 by PopArtDiva.com. All rights reserved. No permission is given to copy, distribute or reproduce without written permission from PopArtDiva.com.

STIMULATE YOUR CREATIVITY - STEAL FROM THE MASTERS AND OTHER CREATIVE PEOPLE!

2008-03-09T09:57:00.005-07:00

"Bad artists copy. Good artists steal" - Pablo Picasso

Okay, I'm not talking about downloading another artist's work and saying it's yours - don't be silly. What I am saying is look at other people's art and let it inspire you. Do you like the way a particular artist used color? Experiment with that palette in your work. Do you like the way the artist used negative space? Try to emulate their design sense. Let the view of other artists open your eyes to new possibilities in your own art.

Go visit some of the world's greatest museums online and get inspired by what the other artists are doing with their art. I stop by several sites on a regular basis just to have a look see and let the visuals sink into my unconscious to percolate. (Links below.) Sometimes I will analyze what I see in a very logical thinking process and sometimes I just absorb the information intuitively. This practice helps me to evolve my own art and keep it fresh and exciting.

I am particularly fond of MOMA (The Museum of Modern Art) because I lean towards very contemporary and even avant guard works in my personal tastes. Plus I love their gift shop! MOMA's site also has a great e-card section too!

Don't just stop at traditional art for your inspiration, there is art and design all around you if you look for it. I get inspiration from a lot of surprising sources, the abstract art I did above was inspired by watching the stand-up comedy special "Norman Rockwell is Bleeding" by Christopher Titus, one of my favorite comics!

I fell in love with the set colors of lavenders and yellows and warm browns on the wrecked wall part of the set. The way the set designers used lighting to invoke the colors in that area had me sketching color combinations as I watched the show! I was really itching to use those colors in an abstract and "TITUS" was the end result of that inspiration! (What kind of cracks me up is how the title of the special itself uses the name of one of my favorite artists as Titus' pun on his dysfunctional family. Stop by his website for a good laugh if you need one!)

"TITUS" is available as archival prints and giclees on canvas on my website, PopArtDiva.com in various sizes.

MOMA - The Museum of Modern Art

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Guggenheim

The Louvre

Free Graphic Design-Art Software, Helpful Art Websites

2008-02-15T09:02:00.006-08:00

I am a member of several art sites and I visit several more on a regular basis. I like to keep up on the latest mediums, styles, happenings in the art world in general.

You might want to check out some of these sites to see if they can be beneficial or informative for you.

Also, my artist friend, Karlyn, has kindly provided links to some FREE computer graphics and website design software here: Best free web and graphic design tools, please stop by, visit the links she has provided and leave a thank you comment for her! Tell her I said Hi!

NUMBER ONE IN A SERIES OF INTERVIEWS WITH PROFESSIONAL ARTISTS DOING ART AND CRAFT SHOWS FOR A LIVING

2008-02-10T10:59:00.000-08:00

(My Questions show up in Light Green Text and The Answers appear in Red Text.)

DELIGHT PRESCOTT-SPALL of DELIGHT'S FANTASY ART

Artist Name: Delight Prescott-Spall

City & State: York, South Carolina

Website URL: Delight's Fantasy Art

E-Mail for contact: delight@delightsfantasyart.com

What is the price range of your work?

My prices range from $9.00 for an unframed open edition to $295.00 for a very limited edition artist proof. There are many stops between those two prices.

What is your type of art, medium and subject matter?

Digital, painting and photographic? Subject matter is fantasy, ie. dragons, mermaids, fairies, castles, knights, anything fantasy. I create a world that's a fun place to go and visit.

What's your educational background?

Bachelor of Arts

How long have you been doing art shows?

Thirty-two years. I've done art shows in the West Coast and now, in the East Coast for the last 3 years. I moved to the East and started doing only Renaissance Festivals, when the shows in California started to go down in quality. In other words, when the shows allowed more imports because of NAFTA, the show quality degenerated to such a level that the fine art clientele was no longer coming.

Additionally, because of the lack of funding for the arts in this country, the general public has become less well educated in art appreciation and, therefore, could not understand or comprehend the difference between original, quality art as opposed to mass produced art.

A case in point, I have actually had a young adult stand in front of a 3'x 5' original acrylic painting on canvas (a painting that required over 100 hours of painting on my part) and say, "How much is the larger poster?"

This type of growing response indicates to me that artists are now dealing with a sadly uneducated general public when trying to market their art.

So, how do you compensate in your marketing approach for this issue?

I sell prints of my originals in sizes ranging from 5"x 7" to 16" x 20" prints, matted and unmatted, framed and unframed. I also have a website where I sell my originals and my prints. Additionally, I sell mouse pads and tote bags. I sell tee-shirts online only. I am considering setting up an online store at CafePress to market my designs on other products like cups, aprons, pillows etcetera.

Are art shows your primary source of income?

Yes, they're my are. However, my website is also another source of revenue. I have also licensed my work to greeting card companies and playing card companies.

Has your professional life always been involved with the arts? And, if so, how? If not, what was your other profession?

It's always been my profession, my passion and my first love. Until I was 30 I just had jobs. Like all artists of the era, I was told you can't make a living with your art. And I was told that by the generation that had just gone through the depression where art was a luxury commodity. Interesting, isn't is, how that era correlates to the political and socio-economic trends of today? However, I have, at least to this point, made a fairly good living as an artist.

How did you get started doing art shows?

A wealthy friend of mine saw how unhappy I was in the 'mundane' world and helped print and frame my artwork so I could start doing art shows.

Where do you participate in art shows? (local, state, regional, cross country)

I do the Renaissance Festivals all up and down the East Coast.

Do you have any good stories, incidents, events, etcetera, revolving around your art show career?

There are really too many to enumerate. I could write a book and maybe someday I will! I love dealing with most people most of the time. There are very few exceptions and I love learning new things about my profession every day if possible!

One story does come to mind (at least the only one I can tell in mixed company). Another artist friend of mine, was in his booth at a show in downtown San Francisco when he noticed a "street person" making his way slowly from booth to booth, being shooed away as he was not the most pleasant smelling individual and appeared to be intoxicated to boot. Okay, the bum was drunk and stinky!

My friend, who shall be called "Bob the Artist" had a greater tolerance and listened to the street person's ramblings. The "street person", (hereinafter referred to as the "Bum") asked "Bob the Artist", "how much is that picture?" and pointed to a small landscape original. While "Bob the Artist" was attempting to tell the Bum the price of the painting, the Bum looked up a small alley next to the show, saw another bum going through a dumpster. The Bum then hollered at the other bum, "Hey, you! That's my dumpster!" and took off at a shuffling run after the garbage thief. "Bob the Artist" just shook his head and went back to his booth.

Later that afternoon, the Bum returned and said, "How much did you say that painting was?". "Bob the Artist" gave him the price, at which point the Bum proceeded to pull crumpled fives, tens and twenties out of his dirty pockets until he arrived at the asking price. "Bob the Artist" then handed the original painting to the Bum, whereupon the bum took the painting and shambled off into the San Francisco fog.

Now you'd think that would be the end of the story - the lesson being "Treat everyone nicely, you don't know who your next customer is." However, the story doesn't end there. One year later, "Bob the Artist" was attending the same show when a different bum approached him and said, "You know, you shouldn't have sold that painting to old Bum last year."

"Why not?" asked "Bob the Artist, "he had the money." (for a moment "Bob the Artist" probably thought he had garnered a whole new clientele of San Francisco Street People.) The new bum said, "Well, Bum was paranoid. He went back to his room, cut the painting up into small pieces, put them in a shoe box and put it under his bed so no one would steal it."

And the moral of this story is, "Learn to let go."

What's your best advice to someone who is interested in art shows as a vocation?

It is a tough time out there for the art show circuit at the moment. Frankly, it's a different market and venue than when I started doing shows 30 years ago. However, it has been profitable and enjoyable for me - I've always wanted to be an artist and the art shows gave me the venue to be a well-paid professional artist for over 30 years.

I might not make that same choice today, but I can't complain because doing art shows brought me a wonderful network of friends, lots of travel and a rich life of experiences and I got to do it all with a paintbrush in my hand. (Wacom table now!)

If you can think of anything else that you believe would be interesting or helpful to fellow artists contemplating doing art shows for a living what would it be?

Go into computer graphics or game design.

-----------------end of interview

Thank you, Delight for your time and thoughtful answers!

Please stop by Delight's Website to view more of her wonderful fantasy art. It's a wonderful trip into the world of imagination and talent.

Free Collage Making Tips E-Book!!!!!

2008-02-07T08:14:00.000-08:00

I was reading a really great review for my Pop Culture Blog at Rosie's Boomer Review and found right underneath a little gem of a FREE ART BOOK!

This is a FREE E-BOOK ON HOW TO MAKE COLLAGE - it's full of great tips and resources from an extremely talented artist, Ray Horner, who is also an Adjunct Professor in the Fine Arts Department at Kean University in Union, NJ.

He also has an artist's resource site, Horner Art Workshop, which you will find very informative and helpful as well as a blog for his students which you might also find helpful.

Enjoy visiting his sites , BUT DON'T FORGET TO GET THE FREE E-BOOK! It's only free for a short time so don't miss the chance to download it today.

I'm off to the studio to get creative and covered in gunk!

A Picture is Indeed Worth a Thousand Words

2008-01-18T17:58:00.000-08:00

I've been pretty busy this last week, what with my extended birthday celebration, a weekend visit from one of my best friends and getting ready for a show this weekend, so I've been a little behind on my posts.

But I thought you might enjoy this site Worth1000 - it's a great site and can stimulate your imagination if you're ever feeling a bit of a creative block!

So, enjoy and check back next week for the first in my series of artist interviews!

Cartoon Animals talk Art - Humourous Video

2008-01-09T09:45:00.000-08:00

This is a really cute video on art that is a clip from a cancelled show called "Creature Comforts" which was a great little show that only lasted a few episodes. This, of course, was one of my favorites episodes, lol.

This was shown on prime time, network television, however, before you show it to your kids be sure to watch the complete clip - a couple of questionable words are in the dialogue. It's possible this video might be pulled after a time - depending on whether or not the YouTuber had permission to upload it so check it out while you can! ENJOY!

HOW TO DO ART AND CRAFT SHOWS FOR PROFIT AND FUN

2008-01-07T07:20:00.000-08:00

This is the introduction to a series of articles I am writing on how to make money at art and craft fairs for a living. I am writing these articles with the assumption that you plan to make a living at art shows as opposed to do them as a part time endeavor or for a hobby.

With nearly 30 years of experience earning my total income or a portion of my income from this profession, I have a lot of pointers and advice for the novice in this field. I have done fine art and craft shows throughout the United States and have participated in some of the major shows in most regions as well as regional and local shows. I have been awarded numerous prizes for my art and my booth designs, some ribbons and some cash prizes.

During these years I have worked in many mediums including, but not limited to, colored pencil, pastel, watercolor, acrylics and oils. I have created art in subject matters from cactus to carousel horses and in contemporary style to classic. My work changed as my market changed or as my interests changed. Sometimes as my life changed. Currently I sell "Painted Sculpture Fusions" which are original acrylic paintings on original sculptures which are on a sculpting medium I created and patented specifically for this series of work. I sell only originals, no reproductions, at art shows. A photo of one of my current pieces is at the top of this article. These pieces sell for $250 and up. I have sold original pieces of my art for as much as $15,000 at an art show. Gallery prices are a different story. I have also sold work for as little as $5 when I was dealing in reproductions.

I have made a very good living doing art shows. I bought a house, a motorhome, traveled the world, met some wonderful people and enjoyed life. I have also been in financial crisis. After 9/11 the world changed and so did the way people spent their money. Every new political administration affects sales, the stock market affects sales, the weather affects sales, Presidental election years affect sales, the price of rice in China affects sales, the phase of the Moon affects sales (it really does!) Your income will rise and fall according to the economy. You are selling art, you are selling a luxury, you are not a necessity. Remember that.

During my heyday I did nearly 50 shows a year, including a 30 day Christmas show. These shows were generally 2 - 4 days in length, not including travel time. In between the shows I had to come home, do "normal" people things like clean house, pay bills, buy groceries and then create my art, package it for the shows, take care of business and pack for the next show. This is a job that is a minimum of a 80 hour work week. I am not joking here, my work weeks were actually closer to 100 hours during peak seasons.

I have done art shows in rain, snow, hail, tornados, gale force winds, hurricanes, earthquakes and floods. I have been at an art show where there were drunken brawls, gang fights and riots. I have encountered all forms of wildlife from killer bees to snakes and scorpions. We won't go into the myriad forms of humanity I have dealt with over the years. I have done art shows with a dislocated shoulder, a broken toe, a permanently damaged back and all number of minor aches and pains. I have done art shows every holiday including my birthday, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years. I was at an art show when my little bird died, my mother suffered a stroke, my sister passed away and my father died.

I tell you this to prepare you for what you are letting yourself in for. This is a physically, mentally and emotionally demanding way to earn a living. You must love doing art and be dedicated, diligent and hard working. If you are looking for an easy life as an artist stop reading and go work at a burger joint. Or marry rich.

In conjunction with these articles I will be providing interviews with many other artists I have met along the way who work in many different medias. These are all artists, not wholesalers, and by that I mean these people create and produce their own product from start to finish. They do not buy and sell. These are legitimate craftspeople and artisans who are original thinkers that produce unique products. They are talented, innovative, dynamic and truly some of the best people I have met in my life.

I am primarily a two-dimensional artist so my take on the art shows focuses around wall art. I have, therefore, sent interview requests to sculptors, potters, gourd artists, fabric artists and other crafters to present their unique views and advice. Each interview will have a photograph of their work and photograph of the artist if provided and contact information they provide. These interviews will be published as they come in.

Here is a working outline of the articles I will cover. This list will change and grow as I proceed through this adventure, but these will give you an idea of what I plan to cover over the course of this tutorial.

What kind of artist will you be?

Do what you love!

Deciding what style and medium of art you want to create and sell

Know your client base - Are you trying to sell Avant Garde in a conservative market?

Be Prepared To Change - The Public is Fickle!

Preparing that work for sale

Originals vs. Orignals and Reproductions vs. Reproductions only

Matting and Framing/Presentation of Work

Archiving Your Work

Finding Show Venues - To Travel or Not To Travel

Show listings and publications

Picking the Best Shows

Travel Costs

Travel Hazards

Travel Advantages

Getting Financially Prepared

Booth Fees, Jury Fees

Payment Methods

Hidden Costs and Profit Margins

Your Show Booth

Creating vs. Buying Your Portable Store

Displaying Your Work to Best Advantage

Prepare for the Elements

Selling Techniques

Create your brand

Give them your story

Listen and Learn

Closing the Deal

Customer Relations

Mailing Lists

Return Policies

Commissions and Contracts

Follow Up

Promoting Yourself Outside the Marketplace

Promotional Materials

Public Relations

Marketing and Advertising

So, there you have it. This is a huge project and an ongoing one. If you truly want to become a professional artist on the art and craft show circuit then stay with me. Sign up for these posts by e-mail or feed. And stop by my website, my other blogs (The Martini Diva, The Diva of Tiny Foods, The Pop Culture Diva, The Road to Diva) and tell your friends about this site and my others. Visit my sponsors. Every bit of support from you will help me continue with this project.

Mold Threatens Cave Paintings in Lascaux

2008-01-05T15:17:00.000-08:00

The Lascaux Caverns have recently been closed to everyone, including scientists, because they are being threatened by a fungus - again. The famous Cave Paintings of Lascaux are approximately 15,000 - 17,000 years old and are some of the oldest known ancient works of art, having survived since the last ice age.

Experts believe the mold might be the result of a faulty air circulation system which had been installed seven years ago. Shortly after this installation, the beautiful prehistoric paintings were threatened by mold damage. Other causes sited were global warming and human activity in the caves (maybe they'll issue breathing apparatus to us poor humans).

In any case the French government shut down the caves and has authorized applying a fungicide to halt the spread of the mold.

The caves have been closed to the general public since 1963. This three month closure, however, closes the caves to everyone except those applying the fungicide and puts a halt to several projects, one of which is a survey that was to make a three-dimensional digital record of every painting in the caverns.

Just thought you might like to know! Here's a lovely book on Lascaux from Amazon.

2008-01-05T09:10:00.001-08:00

For those of you who subscribed to my posts via e-mail recently:

You may have gotten a subscription to another of my blogs
I messed up and put in the wrong code on some of my blogs
I am an ashamed Diva
I have fixed this error
PLEASE RESUBSCRIBE via the e-mail or rss feed
You will now get a subscription to THIS blog
I'm an idiot and I'm sorry!
You may beat me with a blogging stick 50 times
Okay, I said 50 times - you can stop now!
I will forgo chocolate for the entire day to make amends!

Seriously, I am very sorry for this mistake and hope you will forgive me and continue to visit. I value each and every visitor and subscriber to my blogs, and I will endeavor to bring you fun, informative and delicious DIVA content without error in the future.

Terri, aka PopArtDiva, The Martini Diva, The DIVA of TINY FOODS ,The Normal Challenged Artist, The DIVA of DIVAVILLE

DO A JACKSON POLLACK DOODLE!

2007-12-26T09:45:00.000-08:00

Since it's the week between Christmas and New Year's and most people are in a vacation or fun mode I have decided to post a link where you can create your own doodle in Jackson Pollack style! Be sure to come back here and post a comment after you've played!

This is a ton of fun, I wasted an hour doodling with this - it's free and just a kick. Play around with it, change your colors by double clicking, change the weight of your drip by pressing down harder on the touchpad (I used a laptop so I don't know what a mouse will do). If you have a wacom tablet it's really fun!

Read some books on the amazing art and the life of "Jackson Pollack"

Enjoy!

PROTECTING YOUR ART AND YOUR BRAND ONLINE

2007-12-22T05:27:00.000-08:00

Artists preparing to go online with their art always face the possibility of having their original ideas and hard work stolen. It might just be one person who right-clicks their image to use for a card or post to their own site, it might be an unscrupulous art publisher from another country that plans to reproduce that image for their own profit, it could be another artist who would claim that work as their own.

Ultimately, if someone is determined to steal your art they will - but you can make it so hard for them that it's not worth the effort! Here are some steps you can take to protect your intellectual property on the internet:

Splice your image into sections
Keep your image size small - a resolution no higher than 100 (72 is best) and no larger than 6" x 8" (or 500 x 600 pixels+/-) at the largest dimension.
Place a translucent (viewable but see through) copyright mark over the image in strategic locations
Upload only sections of your enlargements
Float an empty image box over the image to prevent right-clicking (this is a script that does not work in Internet Explorer)
Add a javascript code to prevent right-clicking (this does not work in Firefox)
Create your art pages in Flash, web design software that creates an animated page.
Digitally watermark your art
Block access to your image files on your website server
Copyright your work
Place your copyright notice (or a link to it) at the bottom of every page of your site/blog

None of these actions are a guarantee that your work will not be taken and used without permission for some purpose other than your original intent or desires. There are many ways to get an image off of the internet. Anyone can get them right off the browser screen, they can download the files that are used to create any individual page and they can get images off of flash animations and videos. Additionally, if someone wants your art for the purpose of stealing it from you for their own reproduction and profit they can simply buy a high quality image from you and proceed from there.

If you discover your work has been stolen you do have legal recourse, possibly without having a legal copyright. I am not an attorney so I cannot advise you in this area: however, be aware that this can be a costly and involved process that may or may not wind up in your favor. Beware of old wives tales regarding copyrights, the copyright laws have changed in recent years, particularly in regards to the internet. You can read up on copyright law at the U.S. Copyright Office.

Despite the risks involved, you should consider creating an online gallery or e-commerce store for your art. It is a growing avenue for promoting and marketing your work that could ultimately be one of your best revenue streams. As for me, I have decided to put my faith in the goodness of people and my ability to create new art so I'm always one jump ahead of anyone who steals my art or my ideas! But I keep my lawyer's number handy.

The PopArtDiva Cookies are now frosted!

2007-12-20T20:15:00.001-08:00

Here's the cookies with frosting added. I happened to have some cream cheese frosting in the fridge so I let it get to room temp, spooned some into a baggie, squeezed it down towards one tip of the bag bottom, clipped a teeny hole in the plastic bag and used that as a frosting tip.
(Read first cookie post here)

Simple enough and everyone has a baggie in the house! You may not have the fancy cookie equipment but you can do a nice job without it!

BTW, I promised to publish my article on "How to Protect Your Art Online" tonight, but I had some surprise company and we had a few of my newest Millionare Martinis and got to talking about these cookies, so I will be posting that article sometime tomorrow! Tonight I'm exhausted from cookie making and martinis!

GET THE RECIPE AND INSTRUCTIONS HERE

YOU CAN MAKE ANYTHING ART: MY HOLIDAY COOKIES

2007-12-20T09:06:00.000-08:00

MY BRANDED POP ART DIVA PAINTED HOLIDAY COOKIES!

There is nothing I do that I do not approach as an artist and that includes making my holiday cookies!

These came about some 20 years ago when I was dealing with those weird shapes you get in the cookie dough after using your cookie cutters. If you reuse that dough and roll it out again it you add more flour and that can cause dry and tough cookies. Since I make huge batches of cookie dough this was an issue.

And then an inspiration hit me! Why not make abstract cookies out of those really interesting shapes? So, instead of Christmas trees, stockings, Santa, and other traditional cookies for the Holidays I give out my Special Painted POP ART DIVA Sugar Cookies! They are really the best tasting sugar cookies and it's my own special recipe using sour cream, the taste is heavenly and not too sweet. You can add icing details - which I plan to do later today - on some for a little more sugar.

The thing is - people will not eat these! They save them for years, hang them on their trees and don't throw them away until the bugs come calling! I tell them I'll make them more next year - eat them! But they don't! I will probably have to make some plain ones for them to eat!

Yes, I do use food safe coloring and dedicated brushes for the painting! I don't want to poison my friends during the Holidays!

GET THE RECIPE AND INSTRUCTIONS HERE

Glass Blowing in Ancient Egypt

2007-12-17T19:49:00.000-08:00

This is interesting - they've recreated an ancient Egyptian glass furnace. This was a cool article for me because i love Egyptian art and I absolutely love glass art.

Unfortunately, I will never become a glass artist, so it is one of my favorite types of art to collect. I'm especially fond of drinking glasses, martini glasses in particular as I am also The Martini Diva as well as being a normal challenged artist!

I actually have an original Dale Chihuly piece I bought many, many years ago and it's one of my prized possessions. I also have many lovely pieces from fellow artists I've met on the circuit - sone of my favorites being pieces by my friends Ed and Carolyn Earley. They do the most incredible slumped work and Carolyn does glass beads that are miniature works of art.

Anyhoo, enjoy the article!

I AM DOING AN ART SHOW IN SEDONA THIS WEEKEND

2007-12-15T17:45:00.000-08:00

I am currently freezing my patootie off at a local art show here in Sedona. It's actually not that cold but sitting in a booth all day doesn't aid in warming you up. I actually carry a propane heater for occasions such as this! One of the hazards of doing the art show circuit is weather - hot, cold, rainy, snow, tornadoes, hurricanes, you name it I've experienced it during an art show. Along with the additional hazards of critters, creeps and curmudgeons! It's all part of the game.

I plan to post information about doing art shows for a living on this blog for those who might be thinking about this method of selling art. I've been doing fine art and craft shows since 1981 and have done them across the country. I've done most of the major shows and thousands of smaller ones. And I have made my primary living at this since 1985 so I have a lot of experience in the marketing of art through art shows.
Stay tuned, subscribe in a reader for the latest posts and sign up for my PopArtDiva newsletter (there's a form on the right) which will have the latest on all my sites and blogs.

I will get some links to Craft Fair Guides and other resources when I can dig them out of my files!

LET'S GET LEGAL - Copyrights, Trademarks, Contracts, Ad Infinitum

2007-12-13T19:10:00.000-08:00

Eventually all artists need legal help. There are three options for getting legal information and help:

Paid Legal Advice: An intellectual property lawyer (for trademarks, copyrights, contracts or - God Forbid - litigation.
Free legal advice: Wishful thinking unless you have connections or a relative in law school or can manage to find a retired lawyer at the Small Business Administration
Do It Yourself: Time consuming and overwhelming, but the price is right and you learn a lot

I have found several sites that have helped me in some situations:

NOLO, this is an online legal resource that has lawyer directories, online forms for a fee, and some pretty decent free advice in certain areas (not necessarily relating to art, but helpful nonetheless.)
The United States Patent and Trademark Office: This is where you can go to find out how to file your copyrights, trademarks, service marks and patents. Believe it or not you can research and file your own trademarks and copyrights and for considerably less than an attorney would charge you, trust me, I know, I've done it both ways!
SCORE: This is a group of 10,000 or so retired or working business owners, professionals of myriad industries that volunteer their wisdom and business acumen from their years of experience. This is associated with the Small Business Administration of the U.S. government. I've gotten some help putting together business plans and such from here.
CEGUR: I discovered a few free contract forms here which can be downloaded or printed. I myself have not used these contracts - I pay an attorney - so I cannot vouch for them. But here they are if you have no other options. The forms are on the right hand side in a scrolling frame. No guarantee this link will always work, btw.

And here are some books every artist or photographer should have at hand:

Graphic Artists Guild Handbook of Pricing and Ethical Guidelines

2008 Artist's & Graphic Designer's Market

2008 Photographers Market

I hope this helps a little, it can seem like a big, bad business world to us creative types but selling art is a business as well as something you love. Treat it like a business and not a hobby or a pastime and success will be your friend.

Well, I've been a little legal eagle with my first two posts, haven't I? Must be the weather! I promise tomorrow I start the FUN STUFF!!!

Technorati Profile

IF YOUR ART GETS STOLEN

2007-12-12T07:12:00.000-08:00

Every artist who displays their work, be it at an outdoor art show, gallery or wherever, runs the risk of having their art stolen. I have had a few taken over the years in one manner or another and I can tell you it is a frustrating and disheartening experience. You have lost hours, maybe months, of work on a piece that you painstakingly created and have nothing to show for it except, if you were smart, a reproduction in some form. And all you can write off on your taxes is the cost of the materials if you fill out a police report! Your time is not of any monetary value to the taxman.

There are some steps you can take that will make you feel better and might even aid in the recovery of the stolen article.

There are websites where you can register your stolen item, I found two of them. One Stolen911 is free, the other The Art Loss Register appears to charge a fee
You can also place a listing on Craig's List or other sites of that nature
You can post a notice with a photo of the stolen item on your blog, website or profile page
File a police report - it probably won't get your item back but you'll need it for your taxes

I posted a colorful notice on my booth at the art shows with a big headline saying: "HAVE YOU SEEN THIS ART? It was stolen at....." and I continued with the details of where and when it was taken underneath a photo of the art. Of course, that didn't get my art back, but I felt better and it had the added benefit of indicating that at least my art was good enough to steal!!

If you've had something you created taken from you, I extend my heartfelt empathy to you. I also invite you to make a comment and tell me your story. Hey, it's another way to tell the world, it might help other artists to prevent it happening to them and it will make you feel better! Photos will not be posted - that's what the links above are for, but your story could be invaluable information to a fellow artist.

HERE'S MY PLANS FOR THIS ART BLOG!

2007-12-11T09:08:00.000-08:00

THIS BLOG IS A FREE RESOURCE DEDICATED TO HELPING OTHER ARTISTS SELL, MARKET, PROMOTE & CREATE THEIR ART!

I've been an artist my entire life. When I was given my first box of Crayolas I was hooked. I've been a professional artist, in one form or another, for nearly 40 years. I've been a graphic designer, an illustrator, a fine artist, and digital artist and I've worked all two dimensional media and done some sculpting.

For the past 28 years I have participated in the fine art circuit throughout the United States, from California to Florida. I've traveled all over the country doing most of the major fine art shows, sold to galleries, licensed my art and created ways to promote my art. In the process, I've learned a lot about selling art, marketing art and promoting art and I've had some pretty interesting experiences and met some unique and wonderful people.

At the present I am also building an internet enterprise that centers around my Pop Culture Art along with some of my other interests, and I use my art skills in every part of this venture from web design to marketing and promotion.

With this blog I am hoping to give aid to other artists in their quest to make money from their art. ("How to sell my art" is one of the top search requests!) This is a free resource for selling art, marketing art, promoting art, creating art, discussing art, finding art shows and learning more about art. If you just want to do art as a hobby you can still benefit from the art tutorials, projects, tips and discussions. This blog is for, by and about artists of all kinds.

I will post resources for finding art shows, recommend art books and art materials, I plan to do art video tutorials, I will tell some amusing and scary stories about doing art shows, I'll introduce you to other artists, I'll post links to helpful art sites and much, much more as I get new ideas about blogging art.

This is just the beginning so grab your crayons, don your smock, get your creative juices flowing and come join me on the journey!