Artsy Shots + more

golden © samos

Wednesday I participated in a webinar given by Elaine Horejs, the gallery director for the Xanadu Gallery in Scottsdale, Arizona. The workshop was called Insider Secrets to a Successful Art Career. As I listened to what Elaine had to say, I took notes and started making new goals for myself. I have known for quite some time now that I haven't been putting forth the effort it takes to be a successful artist. I've been complacent and now I'm ready to take the leap and CHANGE.

I suppose that with this change I have to figure out why I have been in this rut. I figured out that part of the reason is because I like to work in many different mediums and find it hard to choose just one to focus on. Because of this, I make all my work available with many different venues...

• 3 ETSY shops: artsy shots, samos, muddypotts
• RedBubble
• Imagekind

Now that I realize this, I can write down some goals, catagorize them, and get to work. I also need to make a schedule and figure out how much of my time I will devote to making art, marketing, etc. 

road to nowhere © samos

While taking this workshop, I also realized what I don't want to do as an artist. For now, I'm not interested in showing in galleries. I am perfectly happy working on my own and want to focus on that. So even though the class was geared alot towards getting into galleries, I learned what I want for my career right now and have re-lit that burning desire to succeed.

Since taking the workshop I have been working on one of my ETSY shops that sells strictly photography. I changed the spelling of the name, made a new banner, and am getting ready to list a bunch of new work. Did you even know I had a photography shop? If you do, I'm surprised. I rarely talk about it and have pretty much abandoned it to pursue other things like making pottery. But that's about to change. I hope you can stop by Artsy Shots and take a look. I would love to hear what you have to say.

...As most of you have seen or hear, our beautiful state is still burning with over 10 fires right now. It has been devastating for so many who have lost their homes. But there are many organizations that you can contribute to if you want to help out. One that I like is called WildFireTees. A bunch of Colorado designers teamed up and created a charity that benefits Colorado wildfire victims. 100% of all the proceeds help these people that are in desperate need right now. I'm looking forward to getting my Make it Rain tee! What about you?

Running Wild

running wild © samos

Our beautiful state of Colorado is on fire. As of yesterday there were ten active fires. My heart aches to see our beautiful state go up in flames. I am praying for all the people that have been displaced from their homes, all animals (domestic and wild), and all firefighters...

houses burning outside of  Colorado Springs

 

If you would like to help anyone in need during this difficult time, 9News has an article about what you can do to help...

click HERE to read it.

 

photo taken from Dillards parking lot in Colorado Springs

Encaustics with Kids

My nephew has been visiting for the last few days and we always make art while he's here. We had already dabbled in ceramics the other night and today I wanted to experiment with something new. Last week my Encaustic Mixed Media book arrived in the mail. I've been waiting for an opportunity to take on one of the projects and with Anthony being here, it was the perfect time!

I had picked up some art supplies throughout the week. We had almost everything to create an encaustic piece with acrylics and wax. The only thing that I really need and don't have yet is a heat gun, so I used a hair dryer instead. There was also a time where I used a propane torch, but I operated it and with my nephew at a safe distance.

cutting the beeswax

First we stamped our 4.5" square piece of wood with acrylic paint and then put masking tape across a third of the board. Next, we brushed a layer of wax, letting each layer dry before we applied another.

stamped, taped, and waxed

After a couple layers of wax were applied over the paint, we placed a stencil in the warm wax, let it cool, and then brushed wax over it several times.

after using the stencil

Anthony's completed encaustic mixed media

Anthony did an amazing job! I really liked how it turned out. He even signed the back in wax! 

my first encaustic mixed media with acrylic

After the first one, I had to try one more, but this time with the propane torch. I used it like a wood burner, gently burning the square on top and bottom. Then I brushed the melted wax over the wood with several layers, letting each one cool in between the next application. Next, I used the stencil like I did in the first project and then carved into the wax with a double ended stylus. Finally, I took a black sharpie and wrote the words....

mixed media with stencils and ink

We had so much fun! I can hardly wait to make more. The book walks you through several projects ranging from playing with shellac to embedding fabric in wax. I'll share my work as I experiment. Until then, have a great week!

New @ Muddypotts

3 DaNdyLiOns Planter

blu BLoCK flower bowl

sapphire planter

ART MAGS vs ART BLOGS

i can remember buying magazines such as ELLE and BIZARRE when i was in junior high. i didn't read them, but i did copy images for sketching. i loved drawing all the beautiful women with their crazy looking clothes. you know the ones i'm talking about? they would be wearing feathers or fur and have really bright makeup on. and then when i was a little older i started getting a subscription to ARTnews. and that was to read and educate myself about other artists around the world. i have never been much of a collector, but when you look at my bookshelves, there is usually a shelf or two dedicated just to my art mags. and throughout my twenties, whenever i moved somewhere, the magazines came too.

the last few years i've been on the computer more than reading art magazines. i've let my subscriptions run out and now read artist blogs and look over their websites. i find myself bouncing all over the place, not really soaking in much of what i've seen or read. and every time a computer of mine dies, i have to start all over favorite-ing new art blogs and artist websites. always a bummer.

i don't know. there's just something to be said for picking up your mail and finding your monthly art magazine in the box and then head home to thumb through it over coffee. but if you're the type of person that is trying really hard to save the planet and cut down on your magazine subscriptions, you can always download your favorite subscription, provided the magazine you want offers it. I know ARTnews does. =)

Here's a list of art magazines that you might like:

ARTnews- founded in 1902
20x20-London based arts and literature publication
Juxtapoz
Artforum-est. 1962 in San Francisco, now based in New York, US
Artnet-based in New York, Berlin & Paris
Sculpture-published by the International Sculpture Center

 photography magazines:

Photographer
Shutterbug
Black and White Magazine
Aperture-quarterly on photography; based in New York, USA

Do you subscribe to any? I would love to hear what you read. And after writing this post, I'm off to renew a couple subscriptions...
I miss my magazines!

*artist disclaimer* if i don't hold on to my magazines forever, i DO recycle!

A Friend In NeeD



you are loved



Last week, my friend Robin called out to her fellow artist friends for help on facebook:

Hi everyone! Well I want to come clean with you. Our move to Colorado has been a huge and devastating financial mistake. We are in the midst of coming back to AZ and we are in panic mode. I can't bare to live in this isolation anymore and so for my mental health I need to go back to AZ. In the meantime we have a landlord who has from day one not been very ethical with the lease. We are leaving here with the potential of having to pay rent in two places for two months which as you all know our family was unemployed for 7 months so this will crush us even further. Prayer please! that a renter would come through, that our landlord would not somehow find a way to withhold our deposit, for financial relief. I am scared but hopeful that God see us and I need my friends to agree with me in prayer to move mountains here.

 Robin has so many jobs, two of which are being a military wife and mother of three. There is a donation button on Robin's website for anyone that can help in any way. I am donating the funds from ALL sales I make THIS WEEK. So if you have been wanting a piece of my pottery, a painting or a print, NOW is the time to get it!!! You'll be getting that little piece of art you've been wanting AND it will be going to a good cause!

Support the Arts

Ever type a long email to a friend or just finish typing up a paper to have your computer wig out and lose it all? Well, that just happened. I had written a long informative, clever blog post, and poof! GONE. Needless to say, I've lost my ambition to try and think of every word I just wrote down and rewrite the same thing...but I can try and summarize it.

I was talking about films, movies, good flicks. How as an artist, I'm pretty frugal with my money and don't shell out a lot to support anyone else's  artistic endeavors. I try to collect the occasional print or photograph from artist friends, but I've never supported a cause such as the making of a film.

Where are you going with this? you may ask. Patience, my friend. Remember, I've already told you once and you didn't get it, so I'm trying to recap to the best of my knowledge. *smile*

The other day I saw a video by a young film maker, Adam Baker. He and his crew are making a documentary about complacency called I'm Fine, Thanks.

com·pla·cen·cy  n. 1. a feeling of quiet pleasure or security, often while unaware of some potential danger, defect, or the like; self-satisfaction or smug satisfaction with an existing situation, condition, etc. 2. Archaic . a. friendly civility; inclination to please; complaisance. b. a civil act. 1. A feeling of contentment or self-satisfaction, especially when coupled with an unawareness of danger, trouble, or controversy.

 

 

 

After watching this four minute video, I wanted to see more. So I contributed a little cash to help these 5 film makers out. Here's the thing, it's in the making and Adam is asking for monetary support through Kickstarter, a funding platform for creative projects. They have 10 days to reach their goal. I encourage you to check it out and if you feel the same way I did, contribute to an artistic cause and

SUPPORT the ARTS!

To see more about I'm Fine, Thanks click HERE.

What First?

detail (painting in progress)

detail 2

detail 3

I had a very productive but relaxing week with my husband. We accomplished alot around the house and now its back to the studios. I have several projects in the works and as always, not sure where to start! Paint, glaze, throw...or...

I was just talking with a dear friend of mine about an encaustic camp she's attending in Portland this July. I have always wanted to learn about encaustics but never looked into it much. It seems like I'm always getting sidetracked with other shenanigans. But the conversation sparked my interest a little more and now I have a book coming from Amazon:

It's by Patricia Baldwin Seggebruch. I'm excited to get it and start exploring with wax and brushes! I'm not a stranger to wax since I use a brown victory wax when sculpting my abstract figures, but I have never worked with other waxes. I probably won't be able to wait until I get the book to start experimenting. I see a run to town for art supplies in the very near future. (smirky  grin)

en·caus·tic

1. (verb) painted with wax colors fixed with heat, or with any process in which colors are burned in. 2. (noun) a work of art produced by an encaustic process.

 

I am still working on my instep2souls project too! If you or anyone you know takes pictures of their shoes or feet with a phone camera, I would love to add it to my collection! Just email me at instep2souls@gmail.com .

I hope everyone has a great day and wonderful weekend!



What You Say Matters



reflections © samos 2012

Yesterday I was reading a newsletter that I subscribe to. It was discussing what you say and how you say it can affect someones feelings. Now, most everyone knows this information, but do we actually STOP to think about the effects we have on people and apply what we know in our everyday lives? I know that I try, but truthfully, it's not something I often think about. Unfortunately I have hurt people with my words and/or actions from time to time,not meaning to, but unaware of what I was doing. I know that after the fact when I was aware of what I had done, I rarely had the courage to own up to my actions and apologize. But when little reminders are given to us through reading an email or watching children play or hearing about an old friend that has lost a parent...we seem to take the time to notice how we act towards others.

So the next time your in a hurry or don't feel well, try not to take it out on the person your talking with. They deserve the BEST of you!