Gearing Up for New Work
Bjorkboda hanging on the shelf on the far wall.
I compost dyed these about seven years or so ago, it's been so long now I don't remember when exactly.
Black gutta on compost dyed silk chiffon fabric.
Look familiar??? Yes I'm finally going to work with this piece, note it's in the header of this blog and one of the main photos in my books.
New Work Coming Soon!
My Creative Process Part 1 of 4
I recieved an email from a follower earlier in the week asking me about my creative process, how do I get started, etc. The email contained all sorts of questions, images of her very lovely work, etc., but the gist of the story is how to start the creative process for a piece. The more I thought about it, and wrote to her, the more I realized that I there was a blog post(s) in the anwser.
For my latest series of stitched stories, Corn, I started out by looking at images in my photo library.
For my latest series of stitched stories, Corn, I started out by looking at images in my photo library.
And I start thinking about the theme, what in the photos captures my eye design wise?
I also spend thousands of hours staring at fields, ditches, corn plants, grain bins, silos, etc., in varying light and seasons studying how the light moves and bounces across the objects, studying how they change shape and form in different lighting.
The next thing I do, and this can be days, weeks, months, or even years later, is decide if I want to work in fabric/fiber, encaustic, or with paint. I admit sometimes I work in all of those mediums just to see how it'll turn out in the end, what I thought might be a great idea for fabric bombs and turns out to be exquisite when worked up in wax!
More tomorrow!
More Frames
Framing Material
Pasta Salad
Is it All the Same?
House Update 111411
And now with more trim colors!
My clematis trellis has been removed so John can scrape, prime, and then paint the soffit on the west side of the porch.
The east side of the house still needs another coat of paint and for all of the trim colors to be added. Crow Work Finished
Website update
I updated my website this past weekend, streamlining with the focus being on Prairie. Since I work in several mediums I decided recently that it would be best to focus on one subject for now and explore the subject in depth, I'm very happy with this decision as it has relieved some stress and my work now looks cohesive. http://www.kbaxterpackwood.com/
WIPS
For Those Who Whine about no sales on Etsy!
I'm going to be brutally honest here folks because quite frankly I'm tired of the whining!
First of y'all need to learn how to cull works that are dragging you down like or not, while it MAY be your favorite piece, it does not do you, the artist, justice. And PHOTOGRAPHY speaks volumes about you, the artist, as well as your work.
Most folks are using all sorts of "props" when photographing small items and it IS the undoing of those works! Get rid of the props!!! Take good clear photos and if need be crop it in a photo editing program and get rid of the white areas! You DON"T need rulers in your picture, period! Get rid of theruler and put the measurements in your description! Take an inviting enticing photo of your work from various angles an, angles that tell us a story about the color, texture, shape, and form of the piece.
Go look at any number of shops on etsy that have sold hundreds or thousands of items ALL similar to yours, and ask yourself WHY are their works selling and why aren't my works selling??? I'll give you the anwser
Photography!
Third - descriptions some of you need to work on your descriptions, most are very lacking. Again go look at those shops that are selling hundreds and thousands of items WHY are their items selling and yours are not? I'll give you the anwser
Descriptions!
Fill out your policies, I do NOT buy from anyone who does NOT have their policies filled out, period!
Use some caption breaks in your descriptions so it does not become monotonous**************** and `````````````````` and ~~~~~~~~~ etc.,
Fourth - Tags and Materials Some of you are NOT tagging properly or listing your materials in such a way that puts you at the top of the food chain.
Fifth - Blog, website, FaceBook (create a Fans Page on FB) Twitter, Flickr, etc., are all places where you can CULTIVATE a following. DO NOT SPAM folks with your listings WE SIMPLY DO NOT CARE! What we want to know is YOU!!! It's all about you baby and YOU are your artwork! Put the purchase info in your profile links we'll look for it or ask if we want it bad enough! And if you cultivate your following in the correct way you will have thousands of folks wanting it and badly check out TheBlackApple to get a feel for what I am talking about.
Sixth - local art fares, business cards with images of your works on them, postcards, with images of your works on them. Make them enticiing, subtract EVERYTHING that detracts from the item you sell.
Again there are those on etsy that have had hundreds and thousands of sales to NON-ETSY buyers! WHY??? Because they have created a following!
I don't bother trying to sell in the forums, though I do visit them from time to time. I've created a following through my blogs, websites, facebook, twitter, and group lists I belong to. I sell more work off list, because they saw it on Flickr or on my blog than I do on Etsy. I use Etsy as a place where I can sendthe curious that want to see what I sell, when they are wanting more than what I offer on my website.
Have a great weekend everyone.
First of y'all need to learn how to cull works that are dragging you down like or not, while it MAY be your favorite piece, it does not do you, the artist, justice. And PHOTOGRAPHY speaks volumes about you, the artist, as well as your work.
Most folks are using all sorts of "props" when photographing small items and it IS the undoing of those works! Get rid of the props!!! Take good clear photos and if need be crop it in a photo editing program and get rid of the white areas! You DON"T need rulers in your picture, period! Get rid of theruler and put the measurements in your description! Take an inviting enticing photo of your work from various angles an, angles that tell us a story about the color, texture, shape, and form of the piece.
Go look at any number of shops on etsy that have sold hundreds or thousands of items ALL similar to yours, and ask yourself WHY are their works selling and why aren't my works selling??? I'll give you the anwser
Photography!
Third - descriptions some of you need to work on your descriptions, most are very lacking. Again go look at those shops that are selling hundreds and thousands of items WHY are their items selling and yours are not? I'll give you the anwser
Descriptions!
Fill out your policies, I do NOT buy from anyone who does NOT have their policies filled out, period!
Use some caption breaks in your descriptions so it does not become monotonous**************** and `````````````````` and ~~~~~~~~~ etc.,
Fourth - Tags and Materials Some of you are NOT tagging properly or listing your materials in such a way that puts you at the top of the food chain.
Fifth - Blog, website, FaceBook (create a Fans Page on FB) Twitter, Flickr, etc., are all places where you can CULTIVATE a following. DO NOT SPAM folks with your listings WE SIMPLY DO NOT CARE! What we want to know is YOU!!! It's all about you baby and YOU are your artwork! Put the purchase info in your profile links we'll look for it or ask if we want it bad enough! And if you cultivate your following in the correct way you will have thousands of folks wanting it and badly check out TheBlackApple to get a feel for what I am talking about.
Sixth - local art fares, business cards with images of your works on them, postcards, with images of your works on them. Make them enticiing, subtract EVERYTHING that detracts from the item you sell.
Again there are those on etsy that have had hundreds and thousands of sales to NON-ETSY buyers! WHY??? Because they have created a following!
I don't bother trying to sell in the forums, though I do visit them from time to time. I've created a following through my blogs, websites, facebook, twitter, and group lists I belong to. I sell more work off list, because they saw it on Flickr or on my blog than I do on Etsy. I use Etsy as a place where I can sendthe curious that want to see what I sell, when they are wanting more than what I offer on my website.
Have a great weekend everyone.
Narrative Works
I've been struggling with a label to put on my latest pieces, Prairie Potholes Harvest series, and was given a label today... Narrative Work. That's cool, I can live with that and it fits what I'm doing right now.