Art is a shadow of what a person is thinking... a small glimpse of what they hold inside. Little secrets, regrets, joys... every line has its own meaning. ~Sarah, Los Cerros Middle School, 1999

Art Buzz 2011 Collection

fine art search & competition (Posted: 5/22/10) -- Art Buzz seeks artists for its 2011 international fine art, hardcover, publication. Juror: Alan Rowe, Dir. The juried competition is open to visual artists, worldwide, who work in any visual art media (must be 18 or older). 3 images for $35. Deadline: September 30, 2010. Visit website for prospectus. Questions? Please contact Alan Rowe at mail@artbuzz.org

WCW Reception

If you weren't in Old Town Bandon this afternoon for the West Coast Wings reception you were nowhere! Sage Gallery was full of happy faces, the jurors talked to everyone, the artists mingled and the room was full of merriment. Even the side walk outside had on its party face.




Inside the gallery sparkled with brilliant art and lively conversation.




Kelle Herrick made everyone feel at home.



There were people everywhere.



Kim Wurster had time for the personal touch.



But when the time for awards came, Anne cleared the decks and called all of the troop in for action.



The spectators didn't know a thing was up...



There was always another wall and every wall had at least one special treasure.



The entrants had a last word with the jury...



The photographers checked their settings one more time...




and then...and then... and then, the hard working jury got something more than a pat on the back and the thanks of a greteful nation.



Surprise not only one juror but two, count'em two got recognized for working their ta...yes, yes, there are ladies present so let's just say they worked really hard.



The winner's looked happy.



Pretty darned happy...



Even the Boss looked happy with the way things worked out...



and even when one of the jurors had to do double duty there was a reward at the end of the rainbow.

Last Call

It’s Sunday, Sunday, Sunday and your last chance to be there for the opening reception for West Coast Wings. Sage Gallery, the beautiful boutique gallery located in Old Town Bandon hosts the reception for the artists of West Coast Wings, a celebration of the birds of the Oregon Coast. And just in case you think birds are too ordinary for art, you may find tweeters of a very different kind. Just take a look at the jury pool for this show, Kim Wurster, Kelle Herrick, Ron Wright, and Steve and Susan Dimmock, with that committee it’s an honor to be rejected. Just think of how the ones who made it in feel!

So even though there are preseason foot ball games put on your shoes and coats and head down to Bandon. The event starts at 2pm and you may even get a chance to talk to artist and juror alike.

And while you are in Bandon anyway why not go by the new gallery in town. Oh com-on, you’re in Bandon anyway. Look, Angela Haseltine Pozzi is busy in Newport with her Washed Ashore show, so you won’t get to go to Art 101. Don’t waste the opportunity, go take a look at Whistling Gallery, 87456 Whistling Drive, Ste. A. You just can’t be exposed to too much art.

Ava Ricjey's Art News

Hello Everyone...

It's nice to be back from vacation. It was fun, and Colorado is definitely has much higher temperatures than here. :)

By popular demand we will be painting at (or near) the labyrinth at Bandon Dunes again this coming Monday, August 30th. 1-4 p.m.

Remember to Allow Time to Get Through The Bridge Traffic if you are Coming from Bandon. :)

If you woud like to join us for lunch out there at Noon before we paint, please do. This time we will eat at the Pacific Grill at Pacific Dunes Clubhouse. Here is the link to see the menu.. http://www.bandondunesgolf.com/pages/pacific_grill/55.php
here is the link to the map http://www.bandondunesgolf.com/pages/resort_map/79.php

Monday Plein Air Group has the show at Bandon Public Library for September. Please bring 1-3 paintings along with Title, Medium and Price information to me by Tuesday, August 31st. You can leave them at Bandon Artist Supply, or bring them to Monday paintout, or call me to pick them up. Reception date to be announced.

There will be a memorial service August 28th at 2 p.m. for Robert Rolicheck, (who along with his wife Sally painted with our group.) It will be held at the Eugene Buddhist Pirory, 85415 Teaque Loop, Eugene. If you would like further information, please let me know.

Thanks.
Ava
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Art Information:

Congratulations to Mike Ousley
--he has two paintings at the Gresham Art Committee "Elements" exhibit. Go to http://www.greshamartcommittee.org/id545.html to view the entrants online.
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Congratulations to Tod Steele of Gold Beach whose art is showing at Elliott Fouts Gallery in Sacramento. http://www.efgallery.com
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--Finding Your Visual Voice -- dorothea and Susan
This class is for those seeking a surer artistic voice by providing practical exercises and guidance on different ways forward.
Sunday, September 5, 2010 12-4 p.m. $40 -- includes materials
for registration information contact Susan Lehman at studioblue@mycomspan.com
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Rosemary Hill has purchased "Inkspirations" the Scrapbooking/Rubberstamp store on Hwy 101 in Florence. The store carries very cool stuff for stampers and scrappers and she plans to expand to sell art supplies as well. She will be renaming the store "Rosie's Art Carnival".
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Friday, August 27, 2010 5-7 p.m.
Umpqua Valley Arts Association
1624 W. Harvard Ave, Roseburg, OR http://www.uvarts.com
Reception for the Hundred Valleys Juried Art Show
Congratulations to local artists juried into the show:
Jean Kyle, Pat Snyder, S.L. Donaldson and Yvonne Ousley
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Call to Jewelry Artists
Friday, August 27, 2010 Submission Postmark Deadline
"The Art of Adornment: Jewelry as Personal Expression"
juried show, cash awards
Veneita Stender, Oregon Jeweler, is the juror.
Prospectus can be downloaded at http://www.sagegallerybandon.com
Questions--call 541-329-0103 or e-mail sagegallery@mycomspan.com
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Sunday, August 29, 2010 2 - 5 p.m. Don't Miss It!! :)
Sage Gallery, 390 1st St, Old Town Bandon
Opening reception for West Coast Wings Juried Exhibition which runs August 22 - Sept 25th, 2010.
Congratulations to local artists who were juried into this show: S.L.(Stephanie)Donaldson, Kerin Gale, Larry Roberts, Pat Snyder, Susan Lehman, Winford Jolley, Pat Stannard, Tod Steele and Sharon Guinn.
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Saturday, September 4, 2010 anytime after 8:00 a.m.
Coos Historical & Maritime Center is inviting artists to paint plein air at the waterfront on Saturday, Sept 4th---- at the site of their future building (directly across from Lumberman's and Motel 6), to participate in the celebration event. For complete information please contact Ava and I will forward the full invitation letter to you, or call Annie Donnelly at 541-756-6320.
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Saturdays, September 4th & September 18, 2010
Art Fair $15 per person, bring your own tables & chairs to sell your art. Call Vickie Eichelberger at 541-404-7336 or Whistlinggallery@gmail.com
Also showing Cranberry related art for sale during August & September, if you have something for that.
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Saturday & Sunday, September 4th & 5th
It's time for the annual Labor Day paintout at Winchester Bay:
Art by the Bay at Windy Bay. If you are interested in painting and selling prints & cards, please contact Cheryl LeVesque at charis24@netzero.net The food is good, and it's a good opportunity to show your art, and have fun.
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Wedensday, September 15, 2010 deadline for submitting inspired entries for Artists and Writers Exchange show (A.W.E.) which will hang at Southern Coos Hospital during Oct/Nov/Dec 2010. Contact: Ava Richey 541-347-4643 yarnfarm@harborside.com
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September 24, 2010
Coos Art Museum Annual ---Fall Fling for the Arts.
Save the Date...More info to follow.
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Friday & Saturday, September 24th & 25th
Create Cards that are gifts in this two day workshop
North Bend Houseing Authority, 1700 Monroe, North Bend, OR.
Instructor Carol Palleson, sponsored by the Coast Calligraphy Guild. Contact:Holly Rodenkirk by email, phone or in person at:
541-269-4696, hollyrodenkirk@verizon.net
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Don't Forget

Sunday, Sunday, Sunday in beautiful, downtown Burbank, okay really beautiful, not so downtown Old Town Bandon, West Coast Wings receptionm 2-5 at Sage Gallery. Come out and see the wonders of west coast wildlife and meet the artists who created the images, congratulate the jury on their good taste, (they didn't select me, isn't that proof enough of their artistic engerity?)and enjoy the boutique gallery overlooking the lighthouse, it don't get any better than that. Sure there could be beer and cheerleaders, but the Cowboy Cheerleaders had a booking in Nogales. So come one, come all, see the amazing, incredible, West Coast Wings at Sage Gallery 2-5 on Sunday August 29.

Juried Photography Show

Prospectus 2010
Coast Redwood Art Association

Eligibility: 1. All photographers residing in Northern California and
Southern Oregon

Limitation: 1. Up to four entries per person.

2. Up to 40 inches each side, including frame.

3. Photographs must have been taken within the past
two years.

4. All photographs must be suitably framed and wired
and ready for hanging. (Our hanging system requires
wire to run straight across back of picture frame).

5. Each entry must have a label on the back with the
artists name and phone number, the title of the
photo and the price if it is for sale or NFS if it is not.

Entry Fees & 1. Entry fee will be $10 per piece, non refundable.

Commissions: 2. A 25% commission on all sales of submitted
photographs will be assessed.

Registration: 1. Completed entry forms and fees must be received by
Sept. 20th.

2. Entries must be brought in to Crescent Harbor
Gallery, 140 Marine Way, Crescent City, between 1:00
and 4:00 Thursday Sept. 30.*

*For information, questions or special arrangements,
call Lee Beising at 707-458-9528.

Winners: 1. Winners will be announced and awards presented at
the reception on October 9th, 6:00 to 8:00.

2. Awards will be given for 1st Place - $1,000;
2nd place - $250; 3rd place - $150 and three ribbons
for honorable mentions.

Show Period: 1. Show will run from October 2 through October 29.

2. All entries must remain hanging for the entire show.

3. Entries must be picked up on Friday, October 29
between 11:00 and 4:00.

* People whose work was not chosen to be in the show will be contacted by telephone.

Gyotaku

Domo arigato! No kidding? It’s a fish print and not a type of short poetry, who’d a thought.

But since our very own museum is preparing for a fishing show, maybe we ought to talk about Gyotaku. No, no you don’t have to run the kids out of the room it’s just fish printing. Those clever Japanese they figured out a way record their prized catches long before photography became common. Yep, they coated that fishy with paint and rubbed rice paper on it and viola, fishy prints.

What began as a way to ensure bragging rights after the family dinner has evolved into a complex and lasting art form. The fish print or Gyotaku has come to be present in galleries all over the world.

I’m not at all sure that those first fish were all that savory after being coated in paint and rubbed with rice paper, but we’ve come a long waym baby. Today some Gyotaku are done with rubber fish made specifically for the purpose. Darn, no dinner unless we open that can of cat food.

Even the rice paper has its challengers; parchment, tracing paper and hand made rag papers have all been used. Seems the image is more important than the method.

So let’s take a look and see what all the fuss and fea…scales are about.

You need few materials for a Gyotaku, paint of some kind, thin paper and a fish. No probably sardines from a can will not do. The fish is placed on a hard surface, wood is traditional, but marble or even a plastic will do. Then the artist covers the fish in paint, a single color or many as the artist desires and when the painting process is complete the whole fish is covered by a sheet of paper, rice traditionally, but you’re artist so make art, use what you like. Once the fish is covered you take a semi-ridged implement and rub the paint into the paper. Fish print.

Peel the paper away from the fish and if you are really traditional add your chop. (That’s an Asian seal, like the Great Seal of America, but more personal.) Mount the whole thing in a simple black frame, (remember this is an Asian art form and simplicity is the rule), and head out for the next art show. The process is rewarding and the results are spectacular. And if you don’t like fish you can use something else. Leaves work right well, but I wouldn’t use the cat. They can be most resentful about the whole covered in paint thingy.

An Invitation

Now I am Sixty

A Sixtieth Birthday Celebration & Exhibition of Paintings

Saturday, September 18th, 2010

3 PM until 7 PM

255 N Cammann Street, Coos Bay, Oregon

F. Gary Ostrom

(541) 888-6292

"For the glory of art and the delight of our friends"

Come see my etchings, Lambikins.

That’s the traditional come-on of the well educated lecher and for most people that’s the only thing they know about etching.

Take dry point, yes, it’s one of the many print making techniques and it is etching. And if you aren’t trying to lure maids to a fate worse than death you can go to the local museum and see exactly what all of the fuss is about.

Dry point uses a sharpened needle to scratch lines in a copper plate. That’s the standard version. You can use Zinc, or even plastic, (Many print makers prefer plastic because the material is so soft it is easy to work and because it will only strike ten or so prints before it is used up. See, eliminate self-control and you make a limited edition easy.), to scratch the image in and once you are finished it’s off to the presses and let the numbered editions roll.

Why dry point? It’s easy? It is and it is a technique which is much more like drawing than the other print making disciplines. With dry point the image is created not only by the lines etched in the plate but also the burin and for this reason the plates degrade at a rate faster than other forms. Yeah, there’s always a catch, but for limited editions when you have no sense of self-control it’s a good thing.

I did say that before. So let me change thoughts, (I can too have two thoughts at once.), dry point is more like drawing than some of the other techniques. And any time you don’t have to master a new discipline you can spend more time creating.

Why drawing when painting is soooooooo much more expressive? Because with a drawn image you can get more detail into the work. Yes, I know you can get a lot of detail in a painted work, but sometimes the very fine details like the rigging of a sailing ship of the scaffolding of a new building calls for a whole bunch of fine work.

So when someone asks “What the heck is this here, dry point?” you know the correct answer, right? And if you live in Coos Bay or surrounding counties, you can see some fine examples at the Coos Art Museum.

Ed Jenkins, just a 101, has a show in the Mabel Hansen gallery which features dry point done right. And while you are learning all of the ends and outs of dry point you can ponder just what you’ve done with your life. Ed is 101 and has just started a new painting…

Susan Lehman offers a sneak peek

This is Gold Beach artist Tod Steele... he has work at 2nd Street Gallery and now this great gallery in Sacramento!

Sometimes, to pursue a new idea, the artist must forfeit his deposit on an old idea. ~Robert Brault,

CREATIVE CAST-OFF SALE

UVAA'S CREATIVE CAST OFF SALE DATE HAS CHANGED!!!

MAKE A NOTE!

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 2ND FROM 10AM TO 3PM! RAIN OR SHINE!

EVERYTHING GOES!

HAVE SOMETHING TO DONATE? CALL ALETA OR EMAIL ALETA@UVARTS.COM. WE CAN TAKE ANY OF YOUR CREATIVE SUPPLIES, ART PIECES YOU MAY HAVE IN A CLOSET OR UNDER A BED, ARTIST TOOLS AND JUST USE YOUR CREATIVE IMAGINATION, THIS WILL BE A "HODGE-PODGE SALE OF ALL THINGS ARTFUL!"

JUST LET ALETA KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DROPPING OFF AND WHEN!

IF IT HAS SUBSTANTIAL VALUE WE WILL BE GLAD TO WRITE A LETTER OF DONATION FOR YOUR TAXES!


VOLUNTEERS NEEDED TO HELP ON SATURDAY, OCTOBER 2ND!

Creative Cast-Off Schedule - can you take a shift?

8am to 10pm - Set up tables, set up cast off goods

9:45 to NOON - Assist with customers, take monies

11:45 to 2pm - Assist with customers, take monies

2pm to 4pm - Take down, and pick up

Goodwill will take anything that is left at the 3pm close time. This is a pretty easy and doable sale with just a few helpers to fill in the gaps.

If you are willing to assist in a shift please email aleta@uvarts.com or Delores Spencer at magnolia@wmni.net or just give a call to UVAA at 541-672-2532.


Thank you to Delores Spencer, UVAA Board Member, this event is a happening thing! The volunteer efforts of so many on an ongoing basis is what keeps the H'art of the Arts Center pumping!

Aleta McGee
UVAA Gallery Manager

Put Your Stamp On It

Not to say I told you so, but I did and it was just yesterday I said “think small.” I mean small, small like a postage stamp, exactly like a postage stamp.

What are you rambling about?

I’m talking about a marketing opportunity you may have overlooked, stamps. When I harp on getting your art digitized, this is one of the benefits. Right, you are a serious artist and would never stoop to tricks like mugs and mouse pads or eek, T-shirts!

Would you stoop to postage stamps?

The US government learned long ago that a stamp has power beyond getting a letter from one place to another. They are beautiful, magical, wonderful and they are the size of…well, stamps.

Now among our number we have those who get paid to produce stamps. Our own Kelle Herrick has a number of stamps to her credit and while this is the very best way to get your work out there and get paid for doing it, not all of us have the skill or the Eye to get some country to select one of our works as a representative. What’s an artist to do?

Try Zazzle.

http://www.zazzle.com/stamps

There are probably all sorts of places on the Net where you can get your work turned into real, official postage stamps, but this is one I have used and trust. They do top flight work for a reasonable price and they do it quick so that you don’t have to order in June to get stamps for your Christmas cards.

Yes, no cheesy coffee mugs, mouse pads or T-shirts, just subtle stamps placed on all of your correspondence. What better way to see your art get out to the public and not have to grab a drum and walk down the street beating it.

Look you have to do a lot of mailing to be an artist. There’s all the shows you enter, the correspondence with patrons and commissions, the letters to news outlets and then there’s your bills. Why not let everyone of these daily chores go to work for you?

It’s simple, pick out a strong image, add a signature or not and send that puppy off to Zazzle and let them turn it into postage. (No it doesn’t have to be Zazzle) Then every time you send out a letter, you send out your art.

Think Small

Every artist longs to see their work splashed across the wall of a museum or covering the side of a building. Mural-sized work is in the blood, it’s a tradition, the greatest of our kind worked on a grand scale and the size of it made a lasting impression on our little minds.

But as the times changed, so did the need for giant-sized art. The great patrons, the Church, the politicos, the government, great men with great egos, and great ideas have gone high-tech. Wanna get the message out take to the Internet. Advertising has gone there, companies have gone there, even artists have gone there, there’s something wonderful about a place where you can do anything you want or say anything you want and no one can rat you out to the hall monitor.

But by moving into cyber space the need for gallery-sized art has slipped away. Oh sure there are still folks who have a house the size of the Metrodome and need murals to fill all those bare walls and be shown overhead on the Jumbotron, but you can’t count on them, they’re like unicorns, great if ya see one but hard to come by.

So where to go what to do?

Go small. Miniatures were once all the rage in the art world and we have come full circle to the time when once again they are the jewels of the game. There are shows for them, collectors for them, television shows and books and private exhibits all for those daring young minis in their cute, little frames.

But I have a vision. Good make it small and you’ll have something you can work with. And don’t forget the biggest parts of an artist’s income comes from all those annoying peripherals, the mouse pads, coffee mugs, T-shirts and key chains and let’s just see you try to put Guernica on that.

I know, you never set out to become a midnight pitchman hawking your wares on TV, but it does matter, it does work, it does, sell and that in turn makes for income which can be spent on huge canvases.

And while I’m harping, don’t forget those little treasures hiding in your closet, the sketches you made while researching your latest masterpiece. That’s right, your own notes to the artist, the rushed drawings, the oil sketches, the charcoal layouts that go with you back to the studio. What becomes of them when you are done with that brilliant work and off on your next adventure?

Most of them wind up being kindling for the fireplace to keep out the winter chill. Shame, shame on you, pull them out and put a mat on them and see if you have something to offer for less than the three thousand dollars you want, (and need) for that sixty-four by eighty-two canvas. What happens when you need something to post on the Net? Yes, of course you are Net-savvy and do all of your press-releases and marketing on the Cyber Super Highway. You can’t post a twenty meg picture on your web-site.

Oh you do have Photoshop? And you’ve actually read all of the manual and known just exactly how to reduce the size without changing the perspective? So why haven’t you burned that smaller file to a disc and taken it to have a mini-Giclee made, (Keep the disc, portfolio in a briefcase, remember)?

And for cards and mugs, mouse pads and key chains you’ll need a small high detail file so that the screen printer can make a lossless screen.

Ya just have to get your head out of the clouds and come back down to earth, big is better, but small can be a big idea.

Late summer at Easy Lane Frames & Select Art Gallery

3440 Broadway in North Bend


Our current featured show, “Endless Summer….if it ever comes” is a must see. Artists were asked to depict their impressions of summer: the colors, scents, activities and favorite locations. There is a great variety of work submitted for the show including jewelry, photography, acrylics, inks and watercolors. The artists participating in the show are: Judy Daboling, Jean Nolan, Christy Sanders, Cheri Barnes, Carol Young, Vanessa Jorgensen, Carol and Ron Miranda, Sherry Howk, Stephanie Donaldson, Shinan Barclay, Andrea Dixon, Shirley MacLean, Jean Kyle and gallery owners Jane and Ken Snoddy. Visitors to the gallery are asked to select their choice for “Best of Show”. That artist will win a $50 gift certificate and one of the visitors will also win a $50 gift certificate. These certificates may be used to purchase artwork, framing and matting or for an art class in the gallery. You may vote each time you visit the gallery…don’t miss you chance. The work is visually exciting and depicts summer as we wish it was! When you come to gallery we hope that you have the time to check out all of the other work from the 47 artists who have work on the display in the gallery.

We hope that you will allow us to give you a bid on your next matting and/or framing job. We really enjoy assisting you to make choices which really enhance your work. Matting and framing are like the frosting on the cake…it might taste fine without it but, boy, does it look great with it! Our computerized mat cutter allows us to cut fancy mats with intricate corners, v-grooves, cut outs or debossed designs. We also have an imaging program that allows you to view your artwork in the mat and frame before you make your purchase. Just ask for a demonstration. It’s not too early to start getting work framed for fall shows. We also have equipment to dry mount work or to shrink wrap for preservation. We also carry a supply of clear bags in sizes from small cards up to 16” x 20” work. Come in and let us see if we can help you.

We are working on setting up classes for fall and winter and request your input. If you are interested in taking a class in the gallery stop by and add your name and info to our mailing list. The classes currently in the planning stages are Drawing, Oil techniques workshop, watercolor, collage and more. Come and check out our space.

Reception for "West Coast Wings

SAGE Gallery announces the August 29, 2010 opening reception for "West Coast Wings" a juried exhibition of art works by 20 artists from Oregon, Washington, and California.

"This is a delightful show," said gallery owner Anne Sobbota. "We had an amazing array of works submitted and an impressive panel of jurors. Our judges include locally, nationally, and internationally recognized artists who specialize in bird photography, sculpture and painting. Jurors Kelle Herrick, Susan and Steve Dimock,
Ron Wright, and Kimberly Wurster will also have works on display for the exhibit."

All works represent birds found along the west coast of the United States depicted in styles ranging from naturalistic and photographic, to abstract.
"I'm certain works included in the exhibit will bring gasps of amazement from the audience. Those who appreciate extreme detail and accuracy will be mesmerized by the painstaking graphite renderings of artists like Lance Cox, from Bandon, and the watercolors by Angela Grainger, of Portland. Those who love to laugh will have tears in their eyes brought on by the wit and humor found in the work of Gold Beach artist Sharon Guinn.

There is truly something to excite every aesthetic in this show," said gallery representative, Dana Williams. The public is invited to join the artists from 2‐5 pm at SAGE, 390 First St. SW, Bandon, OR, located inside the Historic Coast Guard Building, Old Town Bandon. For information call
the Gallery (541) 329‐0103. Other local artists in the show include: Pat Snyder, Susan Lehman, S.L. Donaldson, Kerin Gale, Larry Roberts, Pat Stannard, Tod Steele, and Lois Miller.

Call to Artists: CAM Biennial 2010

October 1 – November 27, 2010

Download our Registration/Consent Form and (Artwork Labels

GUIDELINES

All Oregon artists are invited to participate in CAM Biennial 2010 to be held at the Coos Art Museum from October 1 through November 27, 2010. This exhibition provides artists residing in Oregon the opportunity to exhibit their works to the public within an Art Museum without the extensive curating or jurying process. CAM Biennial 2010 will be displayed throughout all 5 of Coos Art Museum’s Galleries.

OPENING NIGHT RECEPTION: Friday, October 1, 2010 from 5 – 7pm. Open to the Public
CAM Biennial 2010 will open with a reception for all the exhibiting artists at the Coos Art Museum on Friday, October 1, 2010 from 5pm until 7pm.

PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD: Winner will be given a solo exhibition at CAM in 2011
Voting for a “People’s Choice” selection will be conducted by Museum visitors during the entire run of the exhibition through the closing at 4:00 pm on Saturday, November 27, 2010. The winner will be contacted by December 3, 2010. Winner’s exhibition proposal must meet Coos Art Museum Exhibition’s Committee criteria prior to installation at Coos Art Museum in 2011.

ARTISTS ELIGIBITILY: Artists who live in Oregon; recent works 3 years old or less.
Original works of art created in the past 3 years (2007 – 2010) by artists who reside in Oregon are eligible for entry. No commercial artwork, or reproductions of any kind will be accepted.

ELIGIBLE ART MEDIUMS: Allowed with the following criteria
• Paintings – limitation of 48 inches in any direction – this includes the frame.
• Drawings – limitation of 48 inches in any direction – this includes the frame.
• Hand pulled prints, etchings, serigraphs – limitation of 48 inches in any direction – this includes the frame.
• Photography (film or digital) – limitation of 48 inches in any direction – this includes the frame.
• Mixed media – limitation of 48 inches in any direction – this includes the frame.
• Fiber & textiles – wall hangings – limitation of 48 inches in any direction – this includes the frame
• Fiber & textiles – wearable – must supply display device
• Small sculptures – weight limitation of 50 lbs and 48″ in any direction
• Glass – blown, fused or leaded stained – if to be suspended, must include a secure hanging or display device
• Turned and carved wood – weight limitation of 50 lbs and 48″ in any direction
• Jewelry – only if ALL elements were created by the artist

NOTE: If your work is a replica of another person’s work – Title MUST contain notation of the original work and original artist. Example: “……….A Study of the Mona Lisa, by Leonardo DaVinci”

INELILGIBILE ART MEDIUMS: Not allowed
• Video, motion picture film, audio, computer generated digital works, giclée prints of original fine art.
• Furniture.

NOTE: If you are unsure on ELIGIBILITY, contact Coos Art Museum.

ACCEPTANCE: Coos Art Museum reserves the right to reject any work(s). Receipt of works at the Museum prior to the opening does not constitute acceptance into the exhibition.

October 1 – November 27, 2010
Coos Art Museum

SUBMISSION RULES

READ THROUGH CAREFULLY AND PLEASE COME PREPARED!

Submissions: Artist may submit up to three (3) pieces of their original artwork ONLY during the following dates/times:

• Monday, September 20, 2010, 10am –6pm
• Tuesday, September 21, 2010, 10am –6pm
• Wednesday, September 22, 2010, 10am – 6pm

Handling Fee: Non-refundable handling fee is $15 for one submission, $10 each for the second and third submissions.

Artists’ Resumes: Each artist is encouraged to submit a brief resume to be included in the exhibition guide. NOTE: This information is IN ADDITION TO entry label information.

Labels: Each submission must be clearly labeled with the following REQUIRED information:
• Title
• Medium
• Artists’ Name
• City/Town of residence

LABEL MUST BE SECURED to the back or bottom of each artwork PRIOR TO SUBMISSION.
No label attached to artwork at the check in – no inclusion in the exhibition!

(Download our Registration/Consent Form and Artwork Labels)

Ready For Display: All works must ARRIVE ready for hanging (matted, mounted and framed, well-anchored, substantial wires are required) with a 48″ in any direction limitation.
No strings or tape allowed!
• Wearable art must include a display device.
• 3 dimensional works – must include an adequate hanging device if to be suspended.
• Sculptures have a 50 lb limitation.

All works accepted in the exhibition must remain on display through November 27, 2010.
No work may be removed from the Museum for any reason prior to the close of the exhibition.

All works must be picked up following the close of the exhibition on any of the following dates/times: (NOTE: Please indicate pickup date on the Registration Form.)

• Saturday, November 27, 2008, 4pm – 6pm
• Tuesday, November 28 – Wednesday November 29, 2010, 10am-4pm
• Call CAM office (541 267-3901) to make other time arrangements

Although all possible care will be taken, Coos Art Museum will not be responsible for damage to or loss of works submitted to CAM Biennial 2010.

Works left at the Coos Art Museum over 30 days after the close of the exhibit are considered abandoned and will be disposed of accordingly.

(Download our Registration/Consent Form and Artwork Labels)

SPECTRA 2010: Photography Triennial

The Silvermine Guild Arts Center in New Canaan, CT seeks entries for a juried photography exhibition, November 14 - December 23, 2010. Cash awards include $1,000 Best in Show prize. Juror: Brian Paul Clamp, Director, CLAMPART. Open to all photographers living within the United States. $30 US dollars for first 3 images and $10 each additional image. Deadline: September 14, 2010. Visit website for prospectus, or send a SASE to: Silvermine Guild Galleries, SPECTRA 2010, 1037 Silvermine Rd, New Canaan, CT 06840. Questions? Contact Jeffrey Mueller at jeffreymueller@silvermineart.org or 203-966-9700 ext 21.

The artist is the antenna of the race. Ezra Pound

Horses by the Sea Book

3-D Books-by-the-Sea Class —taught by Susan Lehman

at Studio t. Bandon, OR

Sunday, August 29, 2010 10-2pm $45

Sign-up by Sat. August 21st

minimum class size: 5, maximum: 10



Class fee includes all materials for one 3-dimensional book: canvasses, post cards, metal charms, small viles for sand and treasures (or a hidden message), stickers, image transfers, brass hinges and fasteners, acrylic glazes and medium.



Using all aspects of the theme of "by-the-sea"--modern or vintage vacations, underwater scenes, tide pools, boats, lighthouses, beach combing, or perhaps even mermaids— learn how to a create an exciting sculptural 3D book diorama from two 5 X 7 canvases. Pages with pockets for tags can be added, the niches can be filled with small items. By the end of the four hour workshop you will have a finished piece to keep or to give as a wonderful gift!



Classes fill up quickly so email Susan at studioblue@mycomspan.com and she will send a registration form!

Just in

The news is good and very welcome, the tragic death of the Rental Sales computer at the Coos Art Museum has been if not eliminated at least resolved. One of our local business guys, Hough MacAdam and Wartnick stepped up and donated a computer to the museum. Many thanks from all of the arts community and in case you didn't know artists are self-employed and need good tax people and accountants because they spend all of their time creating great works of art and all those numbers just make for a migraine so if you need a guy who is good with numbers remember who helped out when the museum needed a hand and take your business where the folks actually care about the arts.

The Photographer's Ephemeris: Not Just for Camera Bugs

Okay, so before all you painters turn to some other site, this is not about photography, or rather it's for anyone who paints or photographs outside.

Part of the magic of getting just the right light for that composition is finding out when it's going to happen. That's right it's outside and you can't just twist a switch and add another light. This app, free app, did you hear that free will help you find the right lighting for that prize winning project.

Photographers are handicapped in ways which painters never have to deal with. In a photograph if it isn't there you can't add it. okay, with Adobe lurking in the studio you can add just about anything, but with this FREE app, you won't have to.

Photographers know that the most dramatic lighting happens at sunrise and sunset, but when and can you trust the beauty contestant who went to meteorological school and now reads the National Weather Service predictions like she had a direct line to the Almighty.

Not really, fortunately there are some things which you can trust. The earth is round. Okay so you heard that before, but because the Earth is round we get the advantage of fading light passing through most of the colors of the spectrum. Yeah, like the prism you played with in sixth grade science. So as the sunsets, passing around the curve of the Earth the colors change from white light, the kind we use to drive and go to the store and hike and surf, to the good kind for making dramatic images, the reds and purples and oranges. And if you know when it is going to happen you can be there with your Brownie to immortalize the moment for posterity. Or maybe for some future project when winter comes and you are locked in the house for fear of getting wet and cold and mucky.

Yes, I hear the painters shuffling and talking to their neighbors so here's what you should know before you start slipping out the back door, that prefect moment can be captured by a camera and filed away for some future project. Of course I know you can use a camera. Just because you claim you can't doesn't make it a big, fat fact. So get out the camera and take a picture, (You are doing digital, aren't you? Those wonderful little pixels come in cameras the size of a cigarette pack. Cigarettes? We used to smoke them to keep from strangling the kids or other annoying distractors like bosses and spouses.) Get back to the studio and download it and save it with a name and place you can remember. Then when winter comes and you wouldn't go outside to rescue a wet cat you can pull the little darling up on the computer and see how it can be used to make a better composition for the newest masterwork. You're a painter you can even use more than one and make something which never existed come into life.

Oh yes, all of those nasty little problem areas like perspective and scale can be answered because you have the actual, visual thingy as a reference.

And what about three dimensional artists? Having a picture for reference makes getting the image right. But I pot. And you don't use images on your pots? What about those clever Native Americans, central American Indians or tribal Afro/Caribbean influences you spotted when you were in New Orleans/Jamaica/Haiti on vacation? No picture, no design. Are you kidding if you've slept since then you won't remember it. Take a picture it last longer.

So now you know how it can help, give it a try, remember its free, so if it doesn't do anything for you you can just delete it.

http://www.downloadplex.com/Linux/Adobe-AIR-Apps/Graphic-Apps/the-photographers-ephemeris_228388.html

New Computer Needed

Attention, attention, attention! The Coos Art Museum lost its Rental Sales computer in a terrible age related crash. The poor old dear, it was an 800 MHz struggling to deal with Win XP, finally gave up the ghost. So let’s have a full minute of silence for the passing of this loyal cyber soldier.

Okay, now that that’s done, anyone out there have an old computer you want to donate to the museum? It doesn’t have to be the latest, brightest, boldest gaming computer with Firewire and full motion video capability, no just a healthy 1.5 to 3 Gigabyte will do. All right we’ll take anything that runs, so long as it has some kick left in it.

If you have such a thing, contact Archi Davenport at the Coos Art Museum 235 Anderson, Coos Bay, Oregon, 97420 or call 541-267-3901, Tuesday through Saturday 10am to 4pm, (Saturday 1 to 4) and receive the heart felt best wishes and the roars of the crowd. How can you beat that, the wife gets rid of some of your junk and you get to feel like a hero, that’s a win win all around. (Sure, you could be female and single and have a computer but we won’t believe you’ve been trying to get the cat to get that old piece of junk out of the house.)

Think big.

This is the advice every self-help guru doles out like crackerjack prizes, but is it right?

That is a very good question and it leads to another, is there a RIGHT in art? No, the artist is the last word on right and that right may change from work to work. So now that we know there is no RIGHT what about big?

There is something majestic about big works. True, most patrons don’t have enough house for a gallery-sized painting, but should an artist limit their work to what will fit in the average-sized house?

No, no and hell no, big works. Jackson Pollack worked on room-sized sheets spread on the floor. Lautrec painted posters. Would the Moulin Rouge have paid for an eight and a half by eleven inkjet print? No, they wanted advertising posters to slap on the walls of buildings. Give me land, lots of land, lots of copy, fill the sky. Or words to that effect

Big works when you are trying to reach the public. Let’s take a look at one of the great public works projects of the renaissance, the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. It is huge. No delicate, little miniature here, no God reaches across the heavens to pass the divine spark to man and he does it super size. See, it’s on a ceiling and if it weren’t you couldn’t see it.

Leonardo did the big and the small of it, the Last Supper is the MacDonald’s version of renaissance art while the Mona Lisa is shocking to the modern viewer because it is intimate, delicate, and strangely evocative. And neither work would do the job if the size had been changed.

So work big.

Yeah, how do you do that? Good question and easy if you happen to be a painter working in landscapes. Fortunately Nature works on a grand scale. It provides a canvas as wide as the horizon. All the artist has to do to achieve size is to faithfully copy Nature. Okay, you can make it a little smaller; most galleries can’t hang a sixteen mile by twenty miles canvas.

And yes, sculptors, I am talking to you too. Unfortunately very few of us live in Florence or Ravenna so the majestic commissions of the Medici years are long gone, but the principles remain true, work big. Think Henry Moore.

And yes, (Take the kiddies from the room, I’m gonna talk to those people), you photographers too, work big. Now I know it’s harder and more expensive for a photographer to work on a gallery-sized print, but you got to do it. Try hanging an 8 x 10 glossy next to a seventy-two by forty-eight canvas and see which one catches the eye.

Big needs big subjects, if you don’t do landscapes think about what would work for a wall-sized image? Whales, ships, airplanes, buildings, bridges and even, gasp, people, you just have to select the right subject.

Now scoot, get back into your studio and clean out a spot to rest that super-sized canvas. No, the easel won’t hold it, think forklift.

Painting:

The art of protecting flat surfaces from the weather and exposing them to the critic. Ambrose Bierce (1842 - 1914)

The First Annual - Hound Hut Art Show -

"The Dog In Art" (Posted: 7/15/10) -- The Hound Hut in Gahanna, Ohio announces a call to artists for a juried art show, September 28 - October 8, 2010. Acclaimed Ohio artist and teacher, Michael McEwan, will serve as the juror. Accepting 2 dimensional work - Paintings, works on paper, realism, abstract, photography. Under 40", artists 18 and over, all original work. 3 pieces for $25.00 (additional pieces $5.00 each). Deadline: August 31, 2010. Visit website for prospectus, or send a SASE to: The Hound Hut, 142 N. Hamilton Rd, Gahanna, OH 43230. Questions? Please contact Martin Timko at mart@columbus.rr.com

The devil is in the details.

Oh brother is that the truth. Being an artist is like disarming a bomb in the dark, you know what you want the work to be, you have the skills to make it, you are willing to take all the time necessary, but in the end someone else will decide if it has value. Boom! That’s the double-secret catch to working in the arts, some one else has the final answer,

So what? Give up the paints, toss out the easel, sell the kiln and take up yoga? No of course not, you go back into the studio and work some more. Meanwhile that perfect piece lives in the closet waiting for the right time to make its move.

When you don’t sell your work or it doesn’t get juried into the show you labored so hard to get into, the why of it all can be overwhelming. What went wrong?

Maybe nothing. Yes, that’s right, maybe nothing. Maybe the right judge, the right buyer, the right reviewer, the right director, the right moment in history was busy somewhere else and you lost while some other artist had the day of his life.

But maybe the piece was stalled by the details. The piece of work had all of the love and skill and time you could wring from the stone of your life and then in a flash, pressed by time, you snatched an empty frame out of the closet and sent it off to school.

You did what? You snatched a frame out of the closet and sent that perfect work off to win or die with a frame you snatched out of some closet? Please, you are an artist; you exercise great care in everything that you do. Then why do so many works wind up in galleries handicapped by frames a junkie wouldn’t steal?

Yes, the frame is part of your work and if you don’t believe it go to Pictureframes.com.

http://www.pictureframes.com/scripts/WebObjects/PictureFrames.woa/wa/Home

Or American Frame

http://www.americanframe.com/

And use their nifty little pre-viewer to see what your work will look like in a variety of frames.

And yes, the painters do have an advantage here; they can do gallery wrap paintings and never have to sweat the right frame. Of course they don’t, they go out and pick frames every bit as badly as any other group of artists.

And why do they do that? Because they spend all of their time on making art. The frame becomes just something to use as an anchor point of the hanging wires.

What’s wrong with just any old frame? I mean if it fits…
The wrong frame can bury your carefully created work. There’s mismatched density. The work is heavy, palette knife or impasto and the frame is thin metal, or even worse the frame is heavy, gold baroque. What if the work is something delicate and fine like a pen and ink or gouache and it is stuck with a frame with enough gold leaf to cover the Arc of the Covenant... The work is small and hidden inside a frame which could easily contain Dumbo and all of his elephant family or the work is busy with lots of detail and the frame is so complex and heavily carved with leaves and vines that the visual become nothing, but mud from ten feet away.

Take a close look at works hanging in the major museums, especially their private, museum owned works; they have small mono-color frames with a wide white mat. (Okay, you can have a black mat, but no earth tones, double mats or wild pastels, please.) Why do museum curators favor such bland frames?

Because they want the work to be the focus of the exhibit!

A good frame draws the eye in and begs the viewer to examine the work inside. “Look at me” it whispers while giving a come hither glance at the stunned public.

Creativity has its place in the work which you do, but in the frame you select for your piece, less is more. Be a good little artist and let your work do all the talking.

AWE participants

The painter puts brush to canvas, and the poet puts pen to paper. The poet has the easier task, for his pen does not alter his rhyme. ~Robert Brault

Ava Richey's Art Information

Monday, August 9th-- paintout 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. at (Linda Cummin's) Abba's Farm --- 94154 Hwy 42S--541-396-1662

On Hwy 42S, going from Bandon toward Coquille, drive through Riverton, watch for sign that says 'Coquille 6 miles'. Abba's Farm is the next driveway on the right (south). There is a sign with Abba's Farm and a painting of her barn at the entrance to her driveway.

Monday, August 16th -- paintout 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. at Whistling Gallery --- 541-404-7336 South of Bandon on west side of Highway 101 in Laurel Grove.

Monday, August 23rd -- lunch at noon at the Gallery Resturant--Bandon Dunes, then 1 p.m.- 4 p.m. paintout at the Labyrinth and the path approaching it. My cell is 541-297-6118

After lunch, park either in Bandon Dunes lot or Bandon Trails parking lot and walk down the hill to the Labyrinth pathway. There are places to paint on the way to and around the labyrinth. You will see the sign with the circular maze-like symbol near the place where the road in from 7-Devils turns onto the Chrome Lake bridge leading to Pacific and Bandon Dunes courses.
You can ask for a public trails map at any of the courses.
or meet us for lunch and we will show you where it's at. :)

Thanks. Happy creating...
Ava
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Art Information:
AD: August Sale at Bandon Artist Supply
Art, art and craft supplies, books and frames--15% off.
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Late summer classes from Studio t
--Creating Your Artistic Sketchbook -- dorothea tortilla
Students will make a unique cover for a sketchbook, explore details on keeping a sketchbook, and do some fun exercises on how and what to put in it.
Sunday, August 22, 2010 2-5 p.m. $35--includes materials
deadline for signup is Aug 14th
--3-D Books-by-the-Sea Class -- Susan Lehman
Learn how to create an exciting sculptural 3D book diorama from 5"x7" canvases.
Sunday, August 29, 2010 10 a.m.- 2 p.m. $45--includes mat'ls
deadline for signup is August 21st
--Finding Your Visual Voice -- dorothea and Susan
This class is for those seeking a surer artistic voice by providing practical exercises and guidance on different ways forward.
Sunday, September 5, 2010 12-4 p.m. $40 -- includes materials
for registration information contact Susan Lehman at studioblue@mycomspan.com
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Check out upcoming classes at Umpqua Valley Arts Assn in Roseburg. http://www.uvarts.com and click on classes then adults.
Plein air painter Mitch Baird, Sat & Sun, October 16th & 17th.... deadline to register is Mon. Sept. 28th. 541-672-2532
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Friday, August 6, 2010 5:30 p.m.
First Friday Artwalk, free walking tour downtown art locations Eugene, OR
Meet host Steve La Riccia (of New Zone Gallery) at 5:30 p.m. at 449 Willamette Street.
Bernie Herr of Florence showing work at Vistra F. & Gallery, 160 E Broadway, Eugene
Stop by Karin Clarke Gallery, 760 Willamette, showing artwork of Mark Clarke.
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Saturday, August 7, 2010 4 - 6 p.m.
Port Orford Gallery Walk
Fine art, food and friends. Maps available at Bandon and Port Orford visitors' centers, and at galleries in Port Orford. Eight galleries with wonderful variety.
Dana Amarisa says come see...she will have new art, a hot new color pallette, wine, food and punch at her gallery at 8th & Washington 541-253-6136
Also don't miss TriAngle Square Gallery and the others.
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Saturday, August 7, 2010 1:00 -3:00 p.m.
South Slough Nat'l Estuarine Reserve
Art Reception for Sarita Southgate, "Looking In--Looking Out",
plein air and abstract paintings. Show runs August 5th - September.
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Saturday, August 7, 2010--Deadline to submit proposals from artists and organizations for the 2011-2012 Exhibition Season
For info and entry form see http://www.jacobsgallery.org or
contact Beverly Soasey at 541-684-5635 or director@jacobsgallery.org
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Saturday August 7, 2010 and
Saturday August 21, 2010
Whistling Gallery is hosting Art Fairs for artists who wish to participate. Cost is $15 each time, per person, you supply tables and chairs. 541-404-7336 Whistlinggallery@gmail.com
Also hosting a Cranberry related Art show for Aug & September, if you have something to display for sale, please contact Vickie.
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Thursday, August 12, 2010 5 -8 p.m. Various Venues for Artwalk--North Bend/Coos Bay area.
Gallery by the Bay, North Bend 5 - 7 p.m. features
Donna Wright and students work from her Experimental Watercolor Class. Show runs August 12th - Sept 3rd, MWF 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
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Friday, August 13, 2010 5 - 7 p.m.
Newport Visual Arts Center, 777 NW Beach Dr., Nye Beach Turnaround, Newport, OR 541-265-6569
Opening reception for Angela Pozzi's Washed Ashore project.
Exhibit will be featured in the Runyan Gallery there from August 13- October 31, 2010. Congratulations to Angela, the team & volunteers! http://www.washedashore.org
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Saturday, August 14, 2010 11:00 a.m.
Eden Hall, SOCC Campus, Coos Bay
Bay Area Artists Assn. monthly meeting features Carol Howald's hands-on painting demonstration. Bring a canvas and join in. non-member artists are welcome.
http://www.OregonCoastArtists.com/BAAA.htm
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Saturday, August 14, 2010 3-5 p.m.
G.A.L.A. Art Walk--Florence
Backstreet Gallery, 1421 Bay Street in Old Town
features watercolorist Jan Landrum.
541-997-8980 http://www.backstreetgallery.org
http://www.florenceartists.com
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Saturday, August 14, 2010 4- 7 p.m.
Second Saturday Art Walk in Downtown Brookings.
For a guided tour meet Pete Chasar in the parking lot across the street from the Redwood Cinema at 4:00 p.m.
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Mon. - Wed, August 23 - 25, 2010 9:00 a.m . - 4 p.m.
Coos Art Museum, 235 Anderson Ave, Coos Bay
Watercolor Techniques Workshop with Larry Johnson
$175 non-member, $150 member
Contact Karen Hammer at CAM 541-267-4877
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Friday, August 27, 2010 5-7 p.m.
Umpqua Valley Arts Association
1624 W. Harvard Ave, Roseburg, OR http://www.uvarts.com
Reception for the Hundred Valleys Juried Art Show
Congratulations to local artists juried into the show:
Jean Kyle, Pat Snyder, S.L. Donaldson and Yvonne Ousley
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Call to Jewelry Artists
Friday, August 27, 2010 Submission Postmark Deadline
"The Art of Adornment: Jewelry as Personal Expression"
juried show, cash awards
Veneita Stender, Oregon Jeweler, is the juror.
Prospectus can be downloaded at http://www.sagegallerybandon.com
Questions--call 541-329-0103 or e-mail sagegallery@mycomspan.com
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Sunday, August 29, 2010 2 - 5 p.m.
Sage Gallery, 390 1st St, Old Town Bandon
Opening reception for West Coast Wings Juried Exhibition which runs August 22 - Sept 25th, 2010.
Congratulations to local artists who were juried into this show: S.L.(Stephanie)Donaldson, Kerin Gale, Larry Roberts, Pat Snyder, Susan Lehman, Winford Jolley, Pat Stannard, Tod Steele and Sharon Guinn.
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Saturday & Sunday, September 4th & 5th
It's time for the annual Labor Day paintout at Winchester Bay:
Art by the Bay at Windy Bay. If you are interested in painting and selling prints & cards, please contact Cheryl LeVesque at charis24@netzero.net The food is good, and it's a good opportunity to show your art, and have fun.
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August 12th --Deadline Extended for Call to Artists
Easy Lane Frames / Select Gallery
Contact Jane for more information at 541-756-7638
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Insight

A painting is what you make of it, besides which, 'Moon, Weeping' has a better ring to it than 'Paintbrush, Dripping.' ~Robert Brault

Call To Artists

'Tis The Season

Can you hear those sleigh bells jingling and the tiny hoofs pawing at the snow on the roof, a jolly ho, ho, ho and maybe the scent of cinnamon and honey in the air? That’s right, it’s that time again, time to start preparing for the holiday season. Boy you thought the stores rushed the season!

No, we aren’t rushing at all, in fact there’s just enough time to make your plans, order the material’s you need and get busy making up those special treats for the coming fall. What special treats? The special treats you are going to have made up and ready when football season tells you its time to start thinking about Christmas.

You are an artist and as such you think about your work and when it comes to selling you naturally think about the canvas, sculpture, pot, collage, photo or basket that you have been working on so long. And you should. That’s where the bulk of your income comes from. But are you missing out on peripheral sales?

Ya think George Lucas got all of that money and built all of those companies on the income from his movies? No, he has Skywalker Sound, THX theater sound, Skywalker Ranch post production facilities, Industrial Light and Magic and the Lucas Films Limited Game division. George Lucas never has to make another movie, the income from all of his companies makes more in a month than all of his films did in their first year and better still he controls the product. You want to see your work on a motel sign? No.

Think about Jimmy Buffet, the most laidback guy in music, his big hits are decades apart. So how did he hang on? He didn’t, he never had to, he was making money all along. He realized that half of the benefit of fame is in what it offers you. The Parrot Heads buy anything Jimmy cares to sell, Jimmy Buffet Hawaiian shirts, Jimmy Buffet Hush Puppies, Jimmy Buffet sandals and yes, Jimmy Buffet parrot head hats. He knew that merchandizing was the key.

You ever hear of Elvira: Mistress of the Dark? Cassandra Peterson puts on a fright wig and twenty pounds of elastic, stuffs herself into a half yard of Spandex and becomes the most successful marketer of all time, she’s the girl who owns Halloween. And in her spare time she makes protecting domestic animals her main ambition. And how does she do this, she doesn’t sing, she doesn’t dance, she doesn’t act, what is her secret? Calendars, personal appearances, cosmetics, costumes, candy, and every product known to man, and when the public finally tires of the joke or when she tires of all the training it takes to not quite fit into that cut-away dress, Ms Peterson will still have an income because of marketing.

I won’t compromise my art by putting it on placards, lunch boxes and taxi stands. And that’s a good thing, but a little marketing isn’t so bad either. Maybe a coffee mug with one of your pieces on it, we live in a tourist Mecca, it’s hard to transport a fifty by seventy canvas back to Tucumcari, but a coffee mug? Why do you think every business in the country has T-shirts? I’ll bet you Coors gets a lot more notice when it’s got two hundred T-shirts on girls at Spring Break. Too tacky

So don’t be tacky. You’re an artist make up a design with your own work which is eye-catching and tasteful. It can be done and who better than you to do it?

Too much trouble. Too much trouble to have something working for you all of the time? What sort of thinking is that? Guess you haven’t heard about residuals. Sure it’s sad to see The Dukes of Hazzard playing on forty channels, but do you think Tom Wopat, Catherine Bach and John Schneider care? They get paid every time it plays. And that is the secret, something which pays every time it is played.

I don’t have anything I’d be willing to use in that sort of shoddy, trashy business. I don’t know how to contact anyone who’d put it on a T-shirt or coffee mug and it would be too much trouble to set up the image.

Boy, you sure you’re an artist? With that kind of passion it’s a wonder that you get anything out of the studio.

Anything can serve as a design. Now you can’t believe everything in your studio is perfect, there must be something you could convert for commercial purposes? What about that still life you did to study light. It would make a wonderful tourist keepsake.

But you can’t put it on anything without preparing an image. Of course you took all my whining about making Giclees to heart and you have a print record of all of your works, right? No, well what are you waiting for? You have a digital camera. Com’on you do, you know you do and it takes pictures and you can take a picture of that piece you finally decided would work so why haven’t you?

I have but it isn’t ready for the screen.

But you did download Faststone Image Editor, like I told you. No, then do it now. It is the fastest, easiest, cheapest image editor around and no it isn’t as powerful as Photoshop or Elements but it’s free.

http://www.faststone.org/FSViewerDownload.htm

There I put in the link, again. Now you can edit the image



Yes, just like this one. Not a bad idea for a South Coast card, Thank You, note or holiday the image works, all it needs now is a place to get it produced.

Like Zazzle. I have no investments in Zazzle, now kickback coming; it’s a place I’ve used and found to be fast, cheap and high quality. Here follow the link and see for yourself.

http://www.zazzle.com/

Oh yeah you’ll notice there are a bunch of serious artists who think marketing makes sense. And yes, if you come up with a Jim Dandy idea you can put it to work right there. The returns aren’t as good as if you did all the grunt work yourself, but boy is it easy.

The Blackberry Festival is coming up. If you get on it today you could have something ready to test market and maybe start making a little income between commissions. And by Christmas or Thanksgiving or even Halloween, you could be ready to roll out the products and start pushing Elvira out of the market place.

Eureka, I've Got It

Got a great idea? Why not let it do some work for you?

An artist wants to spend their precious time in the studio producing art, but what they wind up doing is hitting the streets, the galleries and the shows drumming up publicity for their work. True, some artists achieve great publicity this way, Angela Haseltine Pozzi’s three dimensional art is a news event, but not everyone is so lucky.

What can you do as an artist to promote your work and yet not compromise the time you spend in the studio?

What about note cards?

Yes, I said note cards, but nobody uses them anymore. Really? I have within the last month received two cards, one from a local artist and one from a fan of a local artist and they both feature art from the respective artists. Now one was sent with a mission which had nothing to do with self-promotion, but the other was selected specifically to share the art, a marvelous, thoughtful act from a terrific supporter of the arts. And both went on my walls because they are great art.

So why don’t you have a set of cards? No silly not business cards? Art note cards for thank yous and remembrances and Guy Fawke’s day cards. If you think it is beneath you or not artistically politic, then you are wrong. The cards I have hanging on my walls come from very gifted artists who have a national following and they don’t seem to have suffered any from being put on a card.

What about that dynamic image you created for the National Chicken Pluckers assn? Sure that one they own outright, but what about the clever sketches you made before you settled on the final design or a logo made for the Endless Desert Golf Club, did it come out of your mind and onto the canvas without going through a revision process. Dig out some of the things you’ve set aside and take a look, maybe there’s a lost treasure you can exploit for your own best ends.

Okay, so you’ve found something that would work to promote your art, but you have no idea how to use it? Try Zazzle. Yes that’s right Zazzle.

http://www.zazzle.com/

Zazzle makes all sorts of products which with a bit of design thought can be sued to promote an artist while allowing the artist to spend their time in the studio. You can have mouse pads, coffee cups or T-shirts all with your art on them and Zazzle allows yo to order as you need the item. You can make up one product and try it out and if it isn’t working do something else without committing to a run to five hundred. It’s worth a try.

And just for the record I’m holding out for a T-shirt with a certain artist’s buffalo, hint…hint…hint

2010 "Digital Art L.A."

Los Angeles Center for Digital Art
107 West Fifth Street
Los Angeles, CA 90013
lacda.com

2010 "Digital Art L.A."
International Juried Competition
Jurors:

Peter Frank
Curator, Riverside Art Museum

Rex Bruce
Director, Los Angeles Center for Digital Art


Digital Art L.A. Expo Participants:
iotaCenter · UCR ARTSblock | California Museum of Photography · Dance Camera West · Downtown Film Festival - Los Angeles · Orange County Center for Contemporary Art · Vortex Immersion Media · Downtown Art Walk Los Angeles · Rosslyn Gallery · Rowan Gallery · Julie Rico Gallery · The Museum of Hyperreal Art (MOHA) · C1 Gallery· Pop-Lock Gallery · El Nopal Press Gallery · Artillery Magazine · Coagula Art Journal · Fabrik Magazine · AbsoluteArts.com · Peter Frank, Riverside Art Museum



Enter our juried competition for digital art, digital photography, video and new media. Entrants submit JPEG files of original work, or video, or interactive work. All styles of artwork and photography where digital processes of any kind were integral to their creation are acceptable. We accept digital art stills of any kind, digital photography, short experimental time-based video, video loops, 3D and all other digital video animations, mobile media and interactive new media or internet art (net.art) works of any kind.

The selected winners will be exhibited as the central focus of the "DigitalArt.LA" expo in a large group exhibit at the LACDA gallery (selected net.art entries will be exhibited on our websites). The show will be widely promoted and will include a reception for the artists. The expo screenings, exhibits and events are throughout the day and evening on September 9, 2010 (concurrent with and promoted by the Downtown Art Walk and the Downtown Film Festival Los Angeles). The winners exhibit will remain in the gallery September 9-October 2, 2010.



Online registration only. Video, interactive and new media are accepted by DVD/CD. Internet art (net.art) entries are viewed at their original URL. Still image entries are accepted by jpeg upload. Still image winners are printed by the gallery for exhibition to eliminate the need for shipping, especially for international artists. For complete details and submission instructions visit:
http://lacda.com/juried/juriedshow.html


Deadline for entries: August 16, 2010
Winners announced: August 23, 2010
Exhibit Dates: September 9-October 2, 2010

Reception for the artists: Thursday September 9, 2010 7-9pm
in conjunction with Downtown Art Walk, Downtown Film Festival L.A. and DigitalArt.LA

Registration fee is $30US.

Multiple entries in multiple categories are permitted, additional $30 entry fee for each three images, or single video or single interactive/new media/net.art entry.

For questions please email us at lacda@lacda.com

No phone calls please.