Do it well

I stopped my work tonight to watch a movie with ML. Tomorrow I'm going to the market with what I have and although it's close to Valentine's Day and I still have tons to do to get enough stuff done for the market, I decided not to rush into anything any more. I just want to take one step a time and create something really nice for the market, not just whip things up (like I used to, I have to confess), it has to be something nice even in the "touristy" product line.

I "feel" the idea Message in a Puzzle will fly.

Too bad I don't have a puzzle machine to make curvy puzzles. I think sooner or later I will need to buy one. But I need to wait until I'm ready - i.e. enough good arts to support the business. Here are what I have so far, but I'm not sure if they are good enough... I need to think. Calm down and think.

One step a time, Carol. There is always tomorrow.    

Message in a Puzzle

This will be one of my product lines - puzzle with a message in it. It can be used as a love gift for holiday greetings. I will print something generic for sale off the shelf. Or people can write up their own messages and we mail out the package for them (to remain anonymous until the puzzle is put together).

I feel this will be a good idea for the market. We will see.

Puzzles and New Year Wishes

Just two weeks ago I had an idea. If I use magnet, I don't have to have puzzle machine to cut curvy puzzles. I could just cut into various triangles - yes! So I give it a try. And even my picky daughter Joy agreed it looked fun to play. So I cut some with my collage prints (laminated with a vinyl surface then onto a mat board + magnet sheet) and gave them away to neighbors, friends to test out. It took me 30 minute to finish putting one together and I also found out triangles are harder to push around on magnet. So I changed it to irregular square shape. I also gave up lamination with vinyl on top. Vinyl was to protect the surface from dirty fingers, but it turned out it could be sharp at the edge on the fingers too. So I checked on other puzzle making website, nobody used lamination, so I decided to cut short one step.
Then I cut short one more step. I apply the image directly to a thicker magnet instead of a layer of mat board. Mat board is too hard on the knife.
I started the business in the market, the first day I only sold 7 magnets. Second day, three magnets and one puzzle. Tomorrow will be the third day.
Name is also something I work on right now.
Puzzle D'arte, pack-a-puzzle, message-in-a-puzzle, puzzle-me-this, Magnettos. I love them all for different reasons.
In the market, everything has to be "right on" - people are busy and there are hundreds of little stands. If you don't catch their attention in the first second, they are gone. So what will be the name that catch the eye and the mind?
My new year wish is to make my Pike Place Market gig a viable one by selling both touristy puzzles & magnets as well as my art, and I could  paint and do the art I love while waiting on the booth.
Angels, please bless me and help me get there.

The next

After spening all the time (not to mention the money for the frames) preparing for the show, I made about $400 for selling some prints yesterday. The gallery owner told me some buyers may very possible come back later in the month, but still, a feeling of some kind of loss (not lost) and emptiness.

Barbara reminded me again today, doing art isn't going to make a living. I think unless I can engage my collage with some kind of business ideas.
So here are the things I can do:
1. Go back to the Pike Place Market and be one of the make-do vendors?
2. Aggressively promote my collage to more galleries, attending contest, doing shows?
3. Give art classes? (Two people showed strong interest in taking my collage class)
4. Make and publish children's storybooks with my collage illustration?

I think instead of feeling sorry for myself and worry about the financial outlook of being an artist, I should just do my best until all ideas runs out.

Yes, that's what I'll do.

Jury Selected!!!

CONGRATULATIONS ___CAROL LORD______________________________



The National Collage Society, Inc. jury convened on September 24, 2010 to select collages for the 26th Annual Juried Exhibit. This jury reviewed your slides:


Matthew Kolodjiej, Artist and Associate Professor of Art at the Myers School of Art,

University of Akron, Akron, Ohio

Ellen Rudolph, MA Art History, Case Western Reserve University, Curator of Exhibitions,

Akron Art Museum, Akron, Ohio

Laura Bidwell, Graphic Designer, Collage Artist, Photographer and Arts Patron, Peninsula, Ohio


This jury selected your collage titled:_________SUN DANCE AND HOME COMING



The NCS, Inc. will retain your slide (if submitted) for our permanent collection. Your other entry (if you had two) is enclosed. If you entered with a CD, it will not be returned.

There were 211 artists with 412 entries – 32 entered with slides and 380 used digital images.


The exhibit will be available globally online for one year starting on November, 1, 2010. The e-catalog will be sent to you directly via e-mail in PDF format. You will be able to print a copy either on your own printer or at a copy center.


Gretchen Bierbaum, President & Founder

National Collage Society, Inc.

254 West Streetsboro St.

Hudson, OH 44236

330.656.3673

www.nationalcollage.com

Occation shots

There are times all you need to do is to aim and shoot, effortless. I think this is one of those:

It's on my way to the Oysters House in Olympia WA. It was 7 pm, streets were busy with cars and hungry people. Wait, let me take this shot first. Oysters can wait, so can you. And it's worth it, isn't it?

Fall is Around the Corner

Or is it here already?

I looked up in the sky on my way out of the door, wait, wait, let me grab my G11, it's just too pretty to pass. Only three minutes later, the red on the tree was gone, leaving the pink sky to lid our walk in the neighborhood.

What a lovely evening.