You really thought you'd get through
the holiday season without the Ole Trawler winging on and on about
somethings you ought to think about?
Well, you were wrong.
Four days until Christmas and there are
still presents you need to buy and why should you be any different
from all of the rest of the country. After all there are those wasted
hours between midnight and dawn when there are no football games on
and you can shop in your jammies or in the nude or in the windows of
your apartment if a little seasonal spirit overcomes you.
But if frightening the neighbors isn't
on your naughty list then think about this.
Red River Paper
These guys have all sorts of things any
artist could covet or want or lust after. There are papers for
printing. Now I know you are a painter and never use a camera and
couldn't care less what sort of printing papers are out there but if
that is the case you are missing out on a major revenue stream. Cause
what happens when you sell that latest masterpiece? Then you have
nothing to show for all of your hard work. But if you took a good
picture, no not one of those Neo-Polaroids from your Iphoney, but a
real picture from a decent camera, then you could print it out and
have a record of your work so when that big-time commission comes
looking you have something to show.
Or what have you done about Christmas
cards this year? Bought a bunch of Currier and Ives fakes from
Rite-Aid and sent them to all of the people on your list whether you
know them or not. But if you have files of your work, you could
create your own cards and by buying the pre-cut card stock from Red
River papers you could make your own Christmas cards and send not
only genuine thoughtful seasonal sentiments and but your work,
giving yourself a tasty plug while making you feel self-righteous and
all done at the same time.
Or what about those prints you made of
your brilliant work and now you have them lying about catching dust
and creating toys for the cat when they should be carefully archived
so they will be ready when Mr. Big-time comes along?
You could have ordered clear display
bags. That way you don't even have to take the print out to show it
and if you put down that frosty glass of IPA at Seven Devils and it
happens to be on the print the bag will keep it safe and you can
finish your beer without guilt.
So that's just a coupla reasons why you
should look at Red River papers and I won't even mention the fact
that they are one of the few places where you can buy ready to print
11 x 14 sheets cause that would just be over kill.
And now you say you don't trust online
stores and there are nothing but SPAM and viruses out there so you
never shop on the computer well what about our own Art Connection?
You just have to pick up the car keys
and drive down to the Art Connection and there you will find all
sorts of things the deserving artist needs. And you will be shopping
locally which should make you feel really important and community
centered.
Every artist needs a new sketch pad for
the start of the year or what about some clay for that sculpture you
always wanted to do but keep putting off and yes you can do a nude
without being a complete perv cause you are an artist and not a guy
in an overcoat with a pocket full of candy.
Start small and see if the spirit takes
hold of you. You can always come back and buy more. I can promise you
they will sell you as much as you need so make a lot of mistakes
cause that is the only real way to learn how to do the job and you
can always pass off the flops as artistic innovations.
Not into 3D art? Well there's charcoal
or pastel or colored pencil. My father was a master at shading with
pencils and did renderings so life-like you'd spend half a day trying
to get the birds to take seeds or watering plants only to realize
they were drawings and now they were all wet, but fortunately I never
bring out his originals cause they are one of a kind and not
replaceable but I have them on disc so when I scrap one of them I can
always print off another copy and still have the original safely put
away.
So why not start the Holiday Season
right and get a gift for the deserving artist on your Christmas list
that they will actually like and use and enjoy and respect your good
taste and revere your intelligence and speak your name in hushed tone
reserved for folks with images carved in stone?
