New Whimsical Goat!

I'm still working on art pieces for the Fiber Fusion Northwest and I'm having a great time doing something new and different.  I really like taking the original drawing/painting of the animal and then using photoshop to set it on a background.  Photoshop is fun!

                                     

Alpaca Art

I have a friend who owns and operates an alpaca farm (Alpacas from Mars) and she asked me to create a few pieces of alpaca art and jewelry for her to have at her booth at the Fiber Fusion Northwest event.  Here are a few of the pieces that I came up with.  I plan on making some pendants, magnets, notecards and prints.

Finally, a Chance to do some Art!!!

Finding Balance between Life and Art: Setting Short Term Goals

I've been feeling really guilty about not creating much this summer, and for neglecting my blog and facebook for the past few weeks.  On the other hand I also have a guilt complex about not spending enough time with my girls while I have the opportunity this summer.  So, for the past few weeks, I've put my art on the back burner and focused on my kids and family.  I've been assistant coaching my daughters select soccer team (and I'm loving it!), and I've been trying to spend more time playing with the girls, taking them and their friends inner tubing, or just hanging outside with them while they swim in the lake and play.

But now it's time to dive back into art...and I'm excited!  My long term goal is to simply SELL MY ART!  I have several short term goals that i've set to help me reach that goal, and I intend to accomplish each of these before the first of the year.  I'm listing them here so I can be held accountable!

1. Reorganize all art supplies and give away what I don't need, want or use.  
2. Apply to be a part of a local art gallery and bring some of my smaller paintings, prints, cards and      jewelry to be considered.
3. Continue improving my blog and website.
4. Create at least one more video tutorial.
5. Complete at least 2 pieces of artwork each month.
6. Revisit and complete some of the online courses I haven't been able to finish.
7. Submit something to either a Somerset or Cloth Paper Scissors Reader's Challenge.

I think that ought to do it!  I'm going to be a busy girl!  But I'm ready and eager to get started!  What are your short term goals?  It helps to get them out there, on your blog, facebook or just verbalized to someone you trust in your life to hold you accountable.  I am notorious for having goals and then getting distracted and leaving them by the wayside.  My best intention is to stick to these few things and see them through.  I have 3.5 months right?

Here is a link to an article that tells a story, illustrating the importance and effectiveness of setting short-term goals.  Maybe reading it will help you to set your goals, both long and short!

What I've been up to lately: Pendants and Portable Light Box

More New Pendants

Pictured above is a photo of some of more of my Art Pendants I've created using dominos, and round glass pieces.

I've been struggling with getting good photos of these because of the shiny surface of the resin and glass.  There is usually way too much glare to get a good picture.  I took this photo using a light box I recently made using foam core and white construction paper.   (See picture below)

Soccer Bag Domino Tag

I've been busy helping coach my daughter's select soccer team this summer.  I made these domino name charms for their soccer bags.  They turned out great!  I drilled a whole in the domino's, stamped a soccer ball in the corner and used Ranger alcohol inks to color the rest of the domino in their team color.  I then sealed the top with a light coat of modge podge before writing their names.  Next I wrote their names using a Sakura Souffle pen.  To make them durable I poured a thin coat of resin on the tops!  I think they turned out great!

Take Apart/Portable Light Box

This is a portable light box I made using foam core and construction paper.  The link for the Tutorial is here.  It's a great way to make an inexpensive light box that you can disassemble when you need to store it and assemble again when you are ready to take photos of your work. 

Using Weebly to build your own FREE website...

Here is a slideshow of some of the new jewelry I've recently added to my Art Play Today Shop.  I've been using Weebly to build my website and the best part is...It's Free!!!  I've attempted many websites before and Weebly is by far the best.  As long as you have a PayPal account (which is also free) you can set up your own store on your Weebly website.  If you want to have your own original domain name, you can buy yours very inexpensively at GoDaddy.Com.  It's very easy then to have your website name match your blog name or whatever unique name you come up with.  To build your own website it's as easy as "drag and drop".  

Artists on Facebook: Your Opinion?

This is me,  Kristen Watts.  I figured you might want a face to go with Art Play Today.

After receiving a somewhat negative comment on a post I made about using social media to promote your artwork I have been thinking about it nonstop and would really value your opinion.  Here is the comment left by "Spinning Down Under":

More time on FB = less time creating and less time for real life and real time networking with people who can help you. Simple really. The world of FB is an illusion,smoke and mirrors, and if you post anything on FB it becomes their property - so much for tutorials you post and encouraging others to post photos of their work! Give it a little more time and it will be as passe as last weeks newspaper.Your time is better spent ensuring your blog, website, and etsy shop are high up in the search engines search results . THAT is what drives people (as in paying customers and serious followers) to find you; these are people who are interested in more than simply collecting "names" as friends in fake popularity stakes.But then I'm bucking the trend and prefer owning my own work, not donating the rights to it to a feral and uncontrollable internet site that may just be reluctant to let me have it back. And I'm fussy about my friendships, and paranoid about computer security. FB isn't.Depends if you are satisfied with 15 minutes of transient FB fame, or prefer to be taken seriously. And remembered.

When I first read this I felt a little offended by it, but I've chosen not to take it personally and to learn from her opinion.  I've done a lot of research that I wouldn't have done if not for this comment and I learned a lot in the process.  I appreciate all points of view, because without being open-minded I would never get anywhere or grow as a person and an artist.

In response to how facebook and many other sites may use the content that we upload....I'm not too worried about it, but this doesn't mean I (or my art) won't be taken seriously.  If someone really wants to use your images from your facebook, etsy, flickr, artfire....or any other place you upload your images....THEY WILL FIND A WAY.  Someone can just as easily take an image from Etsy, as they can from Facebook.  It's fairly easy to get around a watermark etcetera.  My point being that I don't see Facebook running a behind the scenes print shop and selling my art or anyone elses as their ultimate evil  corporate scheme.  If my artwork is used by someone other than myself I of course expect the courtesy of giving credit to me as the artist and a link to my site (which I may or may not get)....But in the grand picture, I feel it's useless and unhealthy to be paranoid.

I don't know....maybe I'm to optimistic....but that's something that I like about myself.  I choose to be positive, to share what I know, to encourage other artists to create.  I'm not afraid of someone stealing my style or technique...because frankly we and our works are either directly or indirectly inspired by others.  Sharing makes me happy, so if someone wants to use my images I will just take it as a compliment and move on.  Of course I want to be taken seriously as an artist....But I think using Facebook and other social media will have more positive effects on my art business than the reverse.

Every artist must decide for themselves what they are comfortable with, and every artist must take responsibility for educating themselves as well.  I've done my research and feel comfortable with my decisions thus far.

There is something to be said, however, about protecting yourself as much as you can.  For example, when you upload images for use on the web, you should use low resolution (72dpi) images that are not fit for print.  If you use facebook, you should really read their terms and if you don't understand them, do some research on what the language means.  You should also look at your privacy settings and set them according to your comfort level.

Thank you to "Spinning Down Under" for the thought provoking response to my blog post, and I encourage all of you to express your opinions, whether they align with mine or not! We can all learn from each other!