Anchor by Darren Mahuron

The Art Palaver headquarters is in Fort Collins. A town of about 145,00 people in Northern Colorado. Ft Collins frequently makes many “best of” lists put out by various magazines and news organizations. Such as:

• 5th Best Places for Business and Careers: Forbes – June 2011
• One of the Top Ten Places to Retire in the Nation: Charles Schwab’s On Investing – Spring 2011
• One of the Top 10 Best College Towns: Small-Sized Cities Category, USA Today – September 2010
• One of the Greatest Places to Live in the West: American Cowboy magazine – April 2010

The list of lists goes on and on. But unlike our neighbor Loveland, which was named the #2 art town in America, Fort Collins is not know for its art. But that is not for a lack of trying on the part of the artists that live here.

One artists in particular, photographer Darren Mahuron, has worked especially hard over the years to create a place for artists to publicly express themselves in Fort Collins even when their art did not fit into the status quo set by the established art scene in Ft Collins.

I’ve known Darren for a few years now, in fact I interviewed him way back in 2006 for ZAF622, the art webzine that spawned Art Palaver, and I can tell you he is one of those rare human beings that brings his creativity and his artistry to everything he does, even bike safety posters. (watch the video)

In the video below Mr. Mahuron shares his struggle of being an artists in a town like Ft Collins and the proactive steps he took to try and change things as well as the lessons learned along the way. I believe they are lessons that artists everywhere can learn from but especially any artist anywhere that has lamented about not living in New York City or Los Angeles.

I encourage you to take the time to watch it and I especially encourage you to use the comment form to start a discussion. I know this is a battle being fought all over and I also know that if we can begin to dialogue about it we can begin to form a community around it. And it is through community that we positively change the world.

Art- A Social Responsibility by Darren Mahuron from Darren Mahuron on Vimeo.

Having trouble seeing the video? Click here.

Connect with Darren on his website: SummitStyle.com

Lessons Learned In Attempting To Foster An Art Town is a post from: Art Palaver The Artist Marketing Resource.

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Medium(s) you work in:

How would you describe your art?

My art is based on my reflections of the world around me. I observe. I learn. I feel… then I create. I often have themes in my art. Sometimes I use symbolism and sometimes whimsy to portray the mood or thoughts I may have at that particular moment. Whatever the mood, I like bold lines and vibrant colors. For me, my art is like a photograph, capturing a moment in my life that I can always look back on.

What artist(s) living or dead inspire you? Why?

I honestly do not have an artist in particular that inspires me, but yet I am fascinated by all artists. Art is such a personal experience and portrayal that I appreciate all forms and occurrences just like I would someone’s life experience. Art is an observation of one’s life. So regardless of the artist or the art form, all genres are an inspiration to me.

What are your thoughts on selling art?

I first do art for myself. I create because I “have” to in order to satisfy that part of may nature. There are two aspects of art, those that appreciate art and those that create it. My audience and my clients are art appreciators. I take great pride in sharing my work with other people. I try to vary my product line to keep the availability open to those that appreciate my work. On the higher end of the scale, I have my originals and then I also have prints and posters. Surprisingly enough, we also sell a lot of t-shirts, greeting cards, and stickers internationally. So I try not to place limitations on what my art can do and what it can be used for. If there was one message alone that I could convey to my children, is that your creativity does not have to be just a “hobby” it can be a profession. You can make a living off of being creative. You just have to be willing to go along for the ride.

What is the biggest challenge you are currently facing as an artist?

What has been the biggest victory or success in your art career?

Honestly I think just taking that very first step and putting my work out there was the greatest leap for me. My art was such a personal endeavor that I only shared it with myself. Taking the step to allow others to view my art 14 years ago set the stage for my career as an artist, without that I would never be where I am today. I measure my success based on my ability to continue to create not on the number of shows I have done or sales. 90% of my art’s success depends on me just showing up to the canvas and taking time to create.

What are your short term artistic goals? And what are your long term goals?

This year alone I am expanding to different venues that I didn’t explore before. Working more on licensing my work for different product lines such greeting cards, t-shirts, and even cookies (most recent partnership). My short term goals… keep creating and coming up with new ideas. My long term goal… to do this forever because I truly take pride in my work and love doing it.

Anything else you would like to share?

I use my art on the covers of my own published books that are available through Amazon.com, Barnes & Nobles, and Borders books as well as independent book distributors: http://imotivate.org

Meilena’s Website | Facebook | Twitter | imotivate

Art Palaver begins each week by featuring a different artist. Would you like to be featured? Read the details then Drop me a line.

Meilena Hauslendale | Featured Artist is a post from: Art Palaver The Artist Marketing Resource.

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Though the service started slow and was used mostly by those in the tech and computer fields it quickly grew once celebrities like Ashton Kutcher and Oprah jumped on board. It is now one of the most popular websites on the internet.

But can Twitter be effective in promoting and selling your art work? You bet it can!

Twitter is another avenue that can get your work in front of eyeballs around the world, eyeballs you would have trouble reaching in any other way. Twitter after all is about connecting with people. And it is a great tool for building trust with those connections. Trust is what leads to sales. Right?

But how do you make this happen?

This free webinar will go over effective methods and practical steps an artist can apply to Twitter in order to build a following that leads to more sales. It will also cover powerful tools and resources you can use to get the most out of Twitter.

Every week ArtPalaver.com host’s a free webinar covering a topic to help you sell more art. Each webinar is about 20 to 30 minutes long and includes live Q & A so you can get specific questions answered about art marketing challenges you are facing. Find the details of feature webinars and archives of past webinars right here.

This webinar has already happened but you can find the audio, video, and slides below:

Twitter for Artists

Using Twitter To Sell Art | Free Webinar is a post from: Art Palaver The Artist Marketing Resource.

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This free online seminar will discuss various ways social media can be used to sell more art. We are going to focus more on methods and strategies, not just the tools of social media. Because if you do not have a sound strategy in place chances are you’ll just be wasting you time.

Each free Art Palaver webinar is no longer than 30 minutes long and includes plenty of time for live questions and answers.

The live event has already happened but you can find the audio, video, and slides below:

Social Media for Artists

Promote And Market Art Using Social Media | Free Online Seminar is a post from: Art Palaver The Artist Marketing Resource.

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Medium(s) you work in:

Beads . Paper . Paint . Clay. Computer . Yarn/Fabric . Collage . Written Word.

How would you describe your art?

I believe my art ranges from specifically precise to up-for-interpretation amorphous. Often I want my pieces to have perfect symmetry and structure. Other times, I prefer exploring the emotion, color relationships, and textures in a project.

What artist(s) living or dead inspire you? Why?

I am more inspired by concepts, form, emotion and symbolism. I am probably most impressed with the work of unnamed artists that I see day to day.

What are your thoughts on selling art?

Selling art is vital. I wish more people wanted artfully made items. I believe life would exude more joy and accomplishment if people incorporated more art in their lives. People who do not enjoy creating art can definitely appreciate fine craftsmanship and get joy in art that speaks to them. Art can be in anything, be it a unique hexagonal home design, painting of a flying squirrel, or a collage of herbs. I find it tragic how ‘big box store’ purchased items have erased the passing on of artful and valuable heirlooms.

What is the biggest challenge you are currently facing as an artist?

Distractions . Space . Funds . Tools . Medication . Space Again

Distractions ~ You know, like getting hungry. Cleaning up. TV. I am not a lover of these.

Space ~ Working on several projects at once is my favorite thing to do. I like to let one piece’s glue dry while I paint another work, then when it is drying, sand some metal for another project and so forth. I like to ‘make the art rounds’. The keeps all the projects exciting. Sanding metal also gives me the chance to contemplate my next move with the painting… painting gives me the chance to work out the logistics of fitting the metals together aesthetically.

Funds ~ I’m particular about what goes into an artwork, therefore most pieces are expensive to create.

Tools ~ Silk screening… glass cutting… wood working… spacious work area… all these would be so extraordinary to have!

Medication ~ My medication for schizophrenia is a creativity cloud. Therefore, I find different methods of working through and clearing away this fogginess. This is very difficult work, more difficult than the art. I am naturally inclined to art but I must harness this so I do not have my imagination and creativity backfire on me.

Space Again ~ Oh, where does one safely store both in-process and finished projects!?

What has been the biggest victory or success in your art career?

Writing award winning short stories . Creating themed-art project packs for young children . Faith Marks featured in art shops . Successful custom home decor projects . Increased abilities in painting technique . Creative dramatics learning techniques.

What are your short term artistic goals? And what are your long term goals?

I will forever desire to increase my proficiency and connect with people more in what I create. Explaining concepts, symbolic representation and beautifying the form of everyday things are ongoing goals in my art.

Anything else you would like to share?

During my college years, I was determined to define a cohesive, universal, interdisciplinary summary of all. Determined to collect and analyze data and show how everything intertwines. How everything depends upon and reacts to everything else.

Physics, a beautiful dance. Dance, a repertoire of flowing sciences. We interpret these interactions. We feel relationships. Within boundaries, we puppeteer our business medium, our medical medium, our electrical medium. But these things puppeteer us, as their laws and restraints are strings upon us.

Today I collage the arts instead of collaging every area of study imaginable. I find that proves less maddening and has a greater chance of success.

Rhiannon’s Website | Etsy Shop | Ning Page | Twitter

Art Palaver begins each week by featuring a different artist. Would you like to be featured? Read the details then Drop me a line.

Rhiannon Strickler | Featured Art Palaver Artist is a post from: Art Palaver The Artist Marketing Resource.

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Oil painter

How would you describe your art?

I try to keep my paintings simple to allow the viewer to slow down and look deeper and feel the nurturing and healing rhythm of the universe. Lately, the animals I paint look directly at the viewer, inviting a conversation or perhaps just an acknowledgment of our commonalities. Using thin washes of transparent color, I let the oil paint drip and mix, sometimes using rags to blend, sometimes adding thick, juicy brushwork – depending on the personality of the animal I paint.

What artist(s) living or dead inspire you? Why?

I’m inspired by both Franz Marc and Marc Chagall for their use of color and imagination. I like the work of Sarah Rogers – her bold color and loose, semi abstract wildlife paintings resonate with me. Locally, I am inspired by the fauvist colors and great design work in Bob Coonts’ paintings.

What are your thoughts on selling art?

To me selling art is about building relationships. To do that you have to engage in conversations – which is why I have totally embraced social media. It is said that the internet has changed how we purchase art – for better or worse. I agree that the internet has opened up new avenues for art appreciation, and certainly I make sales via my website/Facebook – but it is not merely because I’ve put the work out there. I work hard at starting conversations about art – and nurturing relationships through social media, newsletters and attending art events.

What is the biggest challenge you are currently facing as an artist?

Time. I am not yet in a position to pursue painting full time, so I am constantly juggling my “day job” – which, thankfully, is with a great company involved in the arts – with my painting time, marketing my work and family time.

What has been the biggest victory or success in your art career?

This is a hard question – sometimes seemingly inconsequential or non-related events are what eventually leads to success. I think for me a turning point was when I finally figured out what I wanted to “say” with my art – and had the confidence to say it! Being juried into the Women Artists of the West (www.waow.org) group last Fall was a major accomplishment.

What are your short term artistic goals? And what are your long term goals?

My short term goals are to complete a major body of work and continue honing my skills artistically. Long term I would like to be a position where I am in a few major galleries and supporting myself entirely with my art.

Anything else you would like to share?

I was juried into my first WAOW show this Spring – the show opens June 4 at the Weighorst Museum in El Cajon, CA. I was also commissioned to create four original paintings and over 100 reproductions for an upscale hotel project in Vail, Colorado. I used to be impatient to be a full-time artist – now I understand that this is my journey, and all things happen as they should when they should. I just need to remind myself to trust the process.

Kate can also be found on the Art for Conservation website, Twitter, and CafePress.

Kate Dardine | Featured Art Palaver Artist is a post from: Art Palaver The Artist Marketing Resource.

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But I do know that it can be intimidating or maybe you can’t yet see the value in how they can help you sell more art. And that is exactly why I am excited to introduce the next FREE Art Palaver webinar…

“Using Video to Promote and Sell Your Art Online”

In this webinar I will go over the all important question “why would an artist use video?” As well as the many ways to approach and produce vids. This webinar will also be packed with information on the tools needed to make, edit, and publish those magic moving pictures.

Even if you are not sure it is right for you I recommend you sign up for this webinar to maybe learn about something your missing. Video can be such a powerful tool yet many artists do not take advantage of it and it can be a good way to set yourself apart and get noticed on the web.

The live event has already happened but below you can find the archived audio, video, and slides:

Video Art Marketing

Using Video To Promote You And Your Art | Free Webinar is a post from: Art Palaver The Artist Marketing Resource.

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Helene is from Northcliffe Australia.

Website | RedBubble | LinkedIn

How would you describe your art?

I’m a fractal artist, working primarily with digital media to explore the interplay of form, energy and light. My work is energy art, created to make the energy matrix which surrounds us visible to the human eye, and increase our sense of connection with each other and the natural world around us. To do this I use texture, colour and pattern as a way of breaking down our sense of identity with intellect and form, and reconnecting us to the sacred whole to which we all belong.

What artist(s) living or dead inspire you? Why?

I’m a big fan of the impressionists, Monet in particular, because I see their work as a precursor to the energy art movement. The impressionists painted light and we paint energy – in essence they are the same thing, spirit made visible, so I feel an affinity with them. I’m also inspired by Susan Seddon Boulet’s visionary art, which features shamanic figures morphing into animals . These works set my imagination soaring and are a reminder to me that everything is one thing, and that one thing is energy.

What are your thoughts on selling art?

I don’t have too many thoughts about selling art. That’s why I subscribe to Art Palaver!

What is the biggest challenge you are currently facing as an artist?

I’ve been selling my work online at Redbubble for a few years now as cards, calendars, posters and small prints. My challenge at the moment is to get my work into local and international galleries as limited edition canvas prints.

What has been the biggest victory or success in your art career?

I was in my first international exhibition in January when two of my artworks, Enchanted forest and Web of Life, appeared at the Energy Art Salon at the Murphy Hill Gallery in Chicago. Definitely a moment to remember!

What are your short term artistic goals? And what are your long term goals?

Short term I’d like to put more of my work into the local galleries and group exhibitions. I’m also focusing on entering more international competitions and building my CV. Long term I’d love to have a solo exhibition, and to eventually make a living from my art.

Anything else you’d like to mention?

I self published my first art book in November 2009 at Blurb. You can take a look at it here.

Be sure to check out Helene’s site at www.helenekippert.com

Art Palaver begins each week by featuring a different artist. Would you like to be featured? Read the details then Drop me a line.

Helene Kippert | Featured Artist is a post from: Art Palaver The Artist Marketing Resource.

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I am quite aware that there are very few artists that like the idea of marketing and promotion, this is why you procrastinate and put it off. And the habit of putting off your marketing means that it is not effective marketing. And of course that means that you sell less art. There is a simple solution to this marketing challenge all artist face and that is a marketing schedule.

Step One: Create a marketing plan.

Step Two: Schedule your marketing based on your plan.

Step Three: Faithfully execute the plan in accordance with your schedule.

Step Four: Smile. You are selling more art!

Maybe step 0.5 should be scheduling time to create your marketing plan. Write it down in your calendar and create a way to add a little sugar to the medicine. By that I mean make a date with yourself to go out to a coffee shop or another favorite place where you can sit down with your thoughts to draft a plan to market your art. Better yet grab a friend who is also an artist and create each other’s marketing plan together. This is the perfect time of year to do it.

Now that you have your plan it is time to get out your calendar and make a schedule of when each step in the plan will be executed. Create deadlines for yourself. When does that postcard need mailed? How often will the newsletter go out? What galleries will your approach and when? What days will you post to your blog? I bet a lot of these types of things are on your “to do list.” Right? But trust me a “to do schedule” is a lot more effective than a list.

Post your schedule where you will see it everyday. Use what ever system works for you. I write my schedule in my marketing journal and also enter deadlines in Google calendar. That way I get an email a week before a deadline. Which can come in handy when I have not thought to open my journal in a few days because it is rare for a day to go by that I don’t open my email. Post it in your work space or on your desktop, put it someone where you’ll constantly see it. Keeping your schedule at the top of your mind will help you meet the deadlines you created for yourself.

If you create a plan, schedule that plan, and execute the plan, you will sell more art.

I know that even creating the plan can be a challenge, which is why I’ve got some webinars to help you with all aspects of marketing your art. Check them out here.

Live to create,

Photo credit:

Want To Sell More Art? Schedule Your Marketing is a post from: Art Palaver The Artist Marketing Resource.

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Welcome to WordPress For Artists!

This series is just getting off the ground so I thought I would start with some of the basics by answering the most common questions I get about WP.

Who do you recommend for a host of my WordPress site? I use and recommend Site5 for any of your hosting needs. Because I work with artists developing their sites I have experience with a broad selection of internet host providers and I have found Site5 to be the most reliable and offer the highest level of customer service. Site5 offers “one click” install of WP which is the easiest way to get started.

What theme do you recommend? A theme is the foundation of your WP site. It defines not only the look of your site but also the function of your site. As well as helping or hurting your chance to be found by search engines. I have experience with countless themes because of all the sites I have built over the years. It is important to pick a theme that suits your unique needs and one that you are comfortable working with. But I have landed on Headway as a theme that I have been using on almost every site I’ve built recently. It is a “premium” theme so it will set you back $87 but it can easily be customized without knowing any code and also has great support from the developer, so you’ll get the money you spend back in the time you save.

But there are thousands of themes out there. You can either search for one directly through your WP dashboard, on the WordPress site, or by doing a Google search. There is usually a bit of trial and error when picking themes so be ready to invest some time in the process. But once you have your theme set it will most likely last you a long time.

What are some good places to look for information on WordPress? Art Palaver of course. But I realize the WordPress information on this site is just getting started so I need to point out some other good sources. When you are new to blogging and WordPress the best place to go is Lorelle on WordPress. Or if you want to cut right to source The WordPress Codex is also good. Feeling stuck and need to ask someone a question? Head over to the WordPress support forums. Chances are someone already asked your question and someone else already answered, so do a search for you problem. Finally if you really want to tap into the vein of all things WordPress subscribe to the WordPress developers blog.

I have found that WordPress has an amazing community of people who are willing to help and share information when you need it. One of the best ways to find answers is to enter your WP question in a Google search. 9 out of 10 times you’ll find what you are looking for.

WordPress For Artists | Getting Started is a post from: Art Palaver The Artist Marketing Resource.

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My path to art blogging began when I started interviewing artists, I’d like to do that again.

Palaver is an old word for having a long discussion. I started this blog to have a long discussion about art. A few months back I experimented with a podcast here on Art Palaver and now I would like to fire those up again but with a new aspect, discussions with artists. So I am making a call for artists who would be willing to be interviewed on the phone for the podcast.

Here’s how it will work. Artists will submit to be interviewed via the form below and then will be contacted to set up and schedule the interview. Before the phone interview I’ll send the artist a list of questions and topic points so they can be better prepared for the interview. Then the interview will take place at the appointed time via Skype. Each interview will take between 30 to 60 minutes.

Then I will use the recording of our conversation as a basis for a podcast. Each podcast will have a blog post to go along with it that will promote the featured artist from the podcast episode, as well as my promotions across social networks such as Twitter and Facebook. It will be a great way to promote yourself and your art, as well as generate new fans of your art. And remember more fans means more sales.

The interviews will focus on the artist, their art, and the challenges they are facing on the business side of art. And this is open to artists of all kinds including visual artists, writers, musicians, photographers, and sculptors, just to name a few. My goal with the podcast is to help promote artists across the web as well as learn about the business and marketing struggles artists are experiencing. And through that we can all learn from each other. I know many artists feel as though they are going it alone out there, I hope to offer a little support and community through the podcast.

If you think you are up for being featured in a podcast please contact me.

Art Palaver Podcast Call For Artists is a post from: Art Palaver The Artist Marketing Resource.

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