Fear of Failure?

Do you ever fear failure? I suppose all of us do to a certain degree... Perhaps a better question would be does your fear of failure ever prevent you from doing what you want or know you should be doing?

 I have recently realized that I have more of a fear than I thought I did and it has been preventing me from branching out in certain aspects of my art business. It's not a fun thing to acknowledge (especially out loud!) nor to experience, but I feel like admitting there's an issue is always the first step towards growth.

I truly want to be more brave when it comes to sharing my work in person! Plus, if there's anything I've learned by listening to successful artists it's that you will fail a thousand times before you make it....

Right now I'm putting my fears in the spotlight and doing my best to overcome them. I know that the more I attempt to share my work, the easier it will become and the rejections will sting less than the successes will soar. Just gotta take a deep breath..... 🤗💙

((Excerpt from my Birds of a Feather monthly letter that will be going out in just a few days. If you're interested in a more personal peek into the ups + downs of this working artist's life drop your email below or pop over here to get added to my special list 💜))

drawing from life, pastel + chalk 6x9 inches

:: originally published August 19, 2018

Pencil Portrait Timelapse :: Octoplum

Today I have a pencil portrait drawing timelapse demo for you of one of my favorite active artists, Octoplum. She is a unique character both inside and out and creates the most incredible little body positive figurines, art dolls and drawings.

See Paloma's work here: https://www.instagram.com/octoplum

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originally published August 16, 2018

How to Paint Dreadlocks in Oil

Painting dreadlocks in oil is simple but can be a bit time consuming. I've developed an easy technique that I'll be sharing with you today so you can just relax and enjoy the repetitive and meditative process when you decided to tackle some dreadhead art of your own. 

Purchasing your paint or brushes through my special links helps to support this blog. Thanks!

Round 0 Brush
https://bit.ly/2nqr2Tx
Round 2 Brush
https://bit.ly/2KLpn3U
Fine Liner
https://bit.ly/2vyJ9eh
Naples Yellow
https://bit.ly/2toymBq
Yellow Ochre
https://bit.ly/2nsPvHv
Cadmium Orange
https://bit.ly/2vvrzb6
Raw Umber
https://bit.ly/2nr2jOA
Burnt Sienna
https://bit.ly/2OVAs5G

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originally published August 9, 2018

July Figure Modeling

Hi friends! If you remember from a few months ago I have started figure modeling for the weekly drawing session I attend and I'm always tickled pink to see other artists' renditions of myself so here's the latest batch. Enjoy!

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originally published August 6, 2018

How to Write an Exciting Artist Statement + Motivation

Ok so today's topic is super duper daunting to many artists, but it really should not be... I'm talking of course about writing an artist statement... Yikes!

Now I know this video is a bit longer than usual, but I didn't just want to share some boring blah checklist like you can find anywhere online. I want to motivate you and give examples and get you excited about talking about your artwork because Lesson One is literally that no one will get excited about your work unless you are first! 

You should definitely watch the video first and then this handy dandy little list below is going to make a lot more sense. I just wanted to make sure that you as my audience have all the great info organized here so you don't necessarily have to take notes during the vid. 

Writing an Artist Statement:

1. Why?

• Builds a deeper connection with your audience
• Audience likes insight; likes to be 'in the know'
• Your message is not always obvious
• BE EXCITED ABOUT YOUR OWN WORK!!!!
• GIVE PEOPLE A REASON TO CARE!!

2. What?

5 Q's to Touch On:

• Are there any unusual processes or materials (especially if the medium is a direct correlation to the 'voice' of your work)?
• What exactly is the subject and what does it mean to you?
• How does the subject affect you and/or how would you like it to affect the viewer?            **why did you create this _______ to represent that ________
• What in your personal life or history made you gravitate to this subject?
• Is there anything you hope to accomplish by sharing this work with the world?

3a. How to Answer?

• Brainstorming/ Mood board creating + At home art show to view your works together
• Choose 2-4 most interesting topics
• Freely write about each

3b. How to Write It?

• Make sure to answer 'How/What/Why did you create?' 
• Connect those thoughts together
• Write a strong intro with a hook to captivate your audience
• No more than 400 words + great to have an abbreviated version too
• Keep your paragraphs short and concise
• Tone is conversational and intelligent without being lofty
• This is not your bio!
• Be brave and bold with adjectives but not too fluffy or flowery
• Triple check grammar and spelling
• Put away for one week then reread with fresh eyes and update
• Have at least 3 people critique your statement
• Ta-daaa! DONE!

Links to Help You:

• https://dictation.io/speech  
• https://www.thesaurus.com/  

Hope that gets you started in the write direction! See what I did there ;) Happy brainstorming!

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originally published on August 2, 2018

Artist Statement Update :: Shadow Play Series

Aloha friends! Every time I create a new body of work or series I like to write a new artist statement to touch on my most current work. I think this is a really important step when making art because even though our audiences usually aren't looking for a novel, they do appreciate a little insight into what the artist is trying to get across. 

It's a great way for your audience to get to know you as well as being a great way to get a handle on your own art making. It can be very easy to create without purpose but it can tend to lead down a rabbit hole that may not be obvious to everyone who wants to enjoy your work. (Make sure to read to the end for a little guidance when writing about your own artmaking)

Any way an artist can better connect with their viewers makes for a stronger impression and therefore a stronger work of art. So enjoy my latest statement and this small collection of my shadow play series:

I have always been a lover of light and these days now find myself a chaser of shadows.

I am a contemporary realist portrait and figure artist living the dream in Hawai’i. While in my studio I find myself constantly using the plant life, tropical atmosphere, and beautiful brilliant sun to capture my muses in unusual and remarkable positions playing and reflecting in elaborate cast shadows. One of the most important aspects of my work is my desire to help foster an inclusive atmosphere in the fine art world by portraying a culturally rich group of subjects, as well as representing an inclusive milieu of body types.

I believe that the modern art scene in general, from its exhibiting artists to its muses, should be ever more representational of all the unique citizens of this earth, so I use my work to lovingly highlight the beauty and character in everyday people from all over the world.

Things to reflect on when writing about your own art....

• Are there any unusual processes or materials (especially if the medium is a direct correlation to the 'voice' of your work)?
• What exactly is the subject and what does it means to you?
• How does the subject affect you and/or how would you like it to affect the viewer?
• What in your personal life or history made you gravitate to this subject?
• Is there anything you hope to accomplish by sharing this work with the world?

Certainly don't feel limited to these questions (and I'm for sure not the end-all-be-all for artist statements!), but sometimes just having a jumping off point can help get the creative juices flowing. And I often have two versions of my artist statement prepared for posting and gallery entry forms. One that is no more than two really short paragraphs and another that's more involved since some places like you to submit a long one and other like a short one. 

Happy writing!!

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originally published July 29, 2018

Facebook Scammed Me of Hundreds

Hi friends, so you know I usually try not to be a Debbie Downer on my blog but I just realized that I've been getting scammed by Facebook for hundreds of dollars so I feel like I should share my experience considering there are so many other small business creatives who I've connected with and I would hate for this fraud to happen to them.

I've been using Facebook ads since the beginning of the year to help promote my custom portrait drawings and I just discovered that FB has been lying about showing my ads to people and instead just sending Russian bots to click on my links so it looks like folks are interested in my business which means Facebook can keep charging me more and more to continue showing my ads. I've explained it all very clearly in this YouTube video so I don't want to sit here and write a whole novel about their super shady practices, but this is absolutely for real. I am certain and I have proof.

And not only did I discover it in my own small business, numerous reputable news sites have reported this same type of fraud from FB which has cost advertisers (ie businesses large and small) $3-5 million a day in fake ad space.

I'm just so floored that a company who is trying to convince us that they should basically be allowed to take over the world is treating some of the only users that actually pay for its services in such a horrible way.

I'm so over Facebook and if I didn't have so many friends 6000 miles away in my hometown of Charleston, SC I would delete it entirely. UGHHHH Thanks for letting me vent friends, and make sure to pass the word along to any other small business owners you know lest the same happen to them.

Check out these reputable sources all citing the same shady Facebook behavior:

Forbes: Facebook 'Investigating' Claims That 80% of Ad Clicks Come From Bots

Fortune: Methbot Scam Is Just the Tip of the Ad Fraud Iceberg

NY Times: Russian Cyberforgers Steal Millions a Day With Fake Sites

Bloomberg: How much of Your Audience is Fake?

And this video by Veritasium explains it very well too...

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originally published July 26, 2018

Brand Spankin' New Postcards + Business Cards

Whew, it's about time I got new post- and business cards! I think the last sets of either that I had printed was when I was finishing grad school in 2015! That may not seem like that long, but when your artwork is all over your 'literature' it can start to feel a bit dated after a few years. 

And hopefully you've heard about my new Notes from the Nest group who receive hand written postcards from my studio? 

If you haven't heard, but you are fellow Snail Mail lover like me then you need to pop over to this post from a few weeks ago to find out how to get mini print postcards sent straight from my Nest to yours :) 

.... And to anyone who has signed up already... I may or may not have sent out a whole bundle last week! hint, hint... wink, wink ;)

Just check out these new cards compared to my old ones - still pretty cute, but with a much cleaner design. And I love the smaller size of both of them; I have people tell me they use my cards as bookmarks or hang them on their bulletin boards which fills me to the brim with glee :D 

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originally published July 22,2018

My New YouTube Channel Intro!

Welcome to my artsy channel! I'm sure most of my readers here have seen my YouTube vids, but have you clicked through to my entire channel yet?

Well today I'm super psyched because I've been wanting to make an intro vid for a while now but wasn't quite sure how exactly to put into words what I wish to do for my audience, but I think I've finally figured out how to express the unique voice I hope to add to your  art-learning journey! 

I certainly don't have everything figured out, and I'm definitely still learning just as much as I am teaching, but I have been serious about making realistic art for about 20 now (yes, for real.... I started advanced classes at age 11!) and have run two small creative businesses so I've gathered a bit of knowledge over the years which I am more than thrilled to share with other like-minded artsy folks. 

So let's live life artfully together! 

So while you're over there, pretty please give my channel a boost by hitting that 'Subscribe' button, and stay tuned because we've got a whole artsy world out there to experience! Yay!

New Oil Painting :: Seven's Lace

'Seven's Lace' was a fascinating first challenge for me as far as executing such detailed lace shadows. It was not only necessary to keep the shadow shapes organized, but then accounting for the curves as well as the direction the shadow was cast and therefore needed to bleed out, really made for an incredible study of light on the form. 

I have included elements of aerosol with found-object stenciling as well as gold leafing the rescinding leaves. 'Seven's Lace' is about the tender embrace of these seven nasturtium flowers and the delicate feeling of warmth and light mixed with lace upon the skin. With this angle and pose I am giving the viewer an opportunity to share this sensitive and surreal space with my muse, and I hope they will feel at home to step right in.

(oil on linen on wood panel, 12x18 inches) Available for purchase

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originally published July 15, 2018