That Time of the year

That time of the year, that’s right, you’ve got to get out the old Christmas card boxes, count the ones which still have envelopes and start thinking about what you are going to do about sending the cards out. Now if social pressure, your mother’s voice and the merchandising monster aren’t enough to coerce you into sending out cards, here’s another reason, you’re an artist. This is one more chance to market your product.

But you are a serious artist, creating real ART and not some hack grinding out postcards and T-shirts. You don’t do common marketing like an Amway lady or a used car salesman.

Okay, so you want elegant, classy and subtle? How ‘bout stamps? That’s right; you can make your own stamps. Even if you don’t want to make up a Christmas card from your own work why not a stamp? It’s small, subtle and cheap, okay, it isn’t free but stamps you gotta have anyway.

Try Zazzle.com http://www.zazzle.com/custom/stamps

A page of stamps costs less than twenty dollars and will work for you long after the season is over. (You know exactly how many cards you are going to send out and never buy too many stamps?) So after all the fuss and feathers is over, you can still use those stamps to pay bills.

Think about it, your art on a stamp. I’m not suggesting you bribe all of your artist pals with a stamp and a card but think about this, I’d love to get a card with one of S. L. Donaldson’s buffaloes on its stamp. How ‘bout an original Susan Lehman or Pat Snyder? I’d say Kelle Herrick but she has her art on “real” stamps issued by official government agencies.

This is a gift you can give to yourself which will work for you for the rest of the year.

So dig out those Giclees, (You did have Giclees of your work made? Potters, sculptures, weavers and ceramists, you DID have Giclees made of your work? Just because it isn’t flat doesn’t make it safe from Giclee.) And sort through them until you find one which will make a great stamp. No silly, it doesn’t have to have snow although if you made a trip into the Cascades and happen to have a snow scene, that would be good, but don’t limit yourself.

I know that there are other places where you can get legal postage stamps made, I just happen to have used Zazzle and know their work. Find your picture, have the stamps made and this year when you hear your mother’s voice screaming, “Have you sent out your Christmas cards, yet?” You’ll have a good answer.