Meeting Notes, Thursday, March 10, 2016

At today’s meeting Loretta U, Diane, Tim, Mike, Joanne,T, Joanne K, Tracie, Dawn, Eugenia, Stephanie, Susan, Kristina, Jeanne, Annie, Tedd, Eunice, Jeanie, Carrie, Loretta L, John, Anna, and me Celeste.

Today’s suggested table topic: Inviting people to art events…. Do you have suggestions tips or in anecdotes that you will share with us--- also tell us how you feel about being invited to events?

(The comments are in random and anonymous order):

I came from the 80s and 90s and “Guerilla” type marketing where you are supposed to do all you can to get yourself “out there”.  If I had not been told that you shouldn't “talk up” your own work at receptions I might not have known that. I have since learned that it is really a bad idea to ever talk up your own work at someone else’s show—it’s their show..let them shine.  

Make sure you put your address clearly in all your invitations…it is wrong to make people hunt around for the address!

I don’t normally have very many shows of my own. I like to learn about other people shows!

I know this -- if you want people to come to your shows you're going to have to go to theirs! An anecdote...One time a foreign family came to my studio and they were convinced that their mother should pose nude for me. (Laughter)! It wasn’t easy to communicate with them.

I was invited one time to a Thanksgiving show at Montgomery Park. I got to sit next to Ursula Le Guin! I was drawing  … she said “I wish I could sign my books like that”!  (Laughter)!

I recently just did an art show. How wonderful it was to see friends show up! I very much appreciated it. I was heartened by all of my friends that showed up from my art circle as well as in other circles. I will make it my business to come to other people shows.

I've had some dismal failures when it comes to getting people to come to my things. I really don't feel like I want to bother people. I will work on this. I can sometimes feel sorry for myself when people don't show up. I know I just have to work on it and figure it out.

I am kind of interested in a webinar on Facebook about marketing. I got invited to be a juror in Hawaii due to my presence on Facebook! Facebook is obviously quite good for connections. 

Have you seen what Eric Bowman and Eric Jacobsen have done recently with an invitation to their studio sale!? It is just such great graphics very clever! I think that we have to be clever…we are artists we need to use ingenuity.  I don’t understand a lot about social media. I don’t really get Twitter. Galleries are great but we are better off when we can sell the work ourselves. I recently participated in a big show. I could not believe how many people were there. I’ll always support my friends and come to their shows.

I am certainly no expert on marketing. There is usually a momentum that comes from somewhere else that helps. (Like the Gallery or other participants). I know that having an online presence is absolutely mandatory. Whenever it comes time to go to events... I have a lot of excuses not to go.

I have nothing to show today. I want to say however that this meeting is so exciting for me. It just gets me so enthused! I showed my relatives some of the work on the blog here in they were impressed. I’ll be taking my sketchbook  on an upcoming trip… I am so grateful to learn about this group.

oh yes… I put my email out there onto Facebook whenever I am doing things. You do need to encourage people to come. I went to someone's art show, however, and was very surprised to learn that it was an erotic art show! I was put off by it --I will check in the future to make sure I know what kind of art show I am attending. I have always had someone show up. Parking in Portland is always an issue.

I have limited experience with shows. It thrills me if people show up at all. I know that I am supposed to be learning about how to boost my WIX! (Laughter)! I'd rather just paint.  I have tried to sell on Etsy. I have noticed that the best things that sells on Etsy is baby animals. I don’t feel inspired by baby animals, but maybe I could do it! Maybe I could do baby animals! (Laughter)! 

I was a founding member of a gallery in California. So I know about building an email list and getting people to come! In Portland we have a guy named Corey Huff. He has company called The Abundant Artist. I think it might be a good idea to have him come and speak sometime.

I am a fringe hanger. I like to be in groups. If there is a group show I will come hang with it! (Laughter)! I haven't got a great list of contacts. I am mustering the confidence to paint outdoors. I want to tagalong with some of you people. I hope you will let me tag along. (Editor's note: We will!)

A long time ago I read about how to do business type things and I read an author named Jack White. He and others have said that you shouldn’t approach Galleries and until you have a full body of work. I did art fairs for many years. I know that there are better times than others to put things on Facebook to encourage “traffic” (though I don’t know when it is).

I will pass on the subject

I don’t have shows, but I will come to yours if as long as you’re not downtown ---if you’re downtown I’m not coming! Laughter!

I enjoy getting invitations from other people. I know it is important to reach everyone with email.

I recently went to the coast because I was juried into a show by Henk Pender. The funny thing was that Henk Pender was not there when I went to the reception (and he was supposed to be). Word was that he had been hit by a sneaker wave. (Laughter!)  (I guess he is alright now)

I have mixed feelings about all of this marketing business. Facebook is my main thing.  I do things kind of intuitively. For me it is all about connections. 

If you follow all the leads that you have you have no time to do your work. I heard something recently from someone I don’t know who but what they said was “forgive yourself” if you have trouble getting everything done ----forgive yourself just work on one thing at a time.

Please say your name when you stand up! It will make things so much better.

I have never had a show I just “foist” my paintings on to other people! (Laughter)! Just kidding! It is a nice question to ask people who come to shows….”which of the paintings is your favorite?”  It’s kind of a good icebreaker. I am perplexed by Instagram and Pinterest and Facebook.

I don't go to many things...especially at night! I do love to learn what everyone is doing and Facebook is great for that. 
  
Additional Notes:

Celeste: I had sinus surgery last week, so I was confined to my bed. I did some self portraits in my sketchbook. I also brought in a painting that I added some new paint to.

Eunice: I have been working on six paintings!

Tedd: I wanted to show you what I did recently with a sketch that I did on canvas.
I did this black and white sketch on canvas then I had it commercially printed onto another larger linen canvas. I had this done at Jefferson and 11th at a printer there. I added the color to the pre-printed canvas. This is a very new way for me to work and I believe it to be legitimate (in these modern times). I left bits of the black and white sketch showing in the printed version.

Annie: Tedd's presentation reminds me that as an illustrator I used a process called “brown-line” You take your drawing to a print shop and they do a brown line of your drawing and then you paint over that. It is very effective.
I brought in two paintings ---one and illustration and one a landscape.

Jeanne: I brought in a painting that I did recently in my figure class.

Kristina: I have some stretcher bars that don’t have canvas on –I am using the stretcher bars as a cropping tool for my still life! I am showing you a still life I did recently

Susan: I started yesterday teaching  a life drawing class at OSA. I had a friend sit for me. I am showing my demonstration of that life portrait.

Stephanie: I did a painting a studio One-eleven. I changed it "retroactively" and played with it. I think it is important to be able to make significant changes for the sake of the painting. The model wore something completely different from what I wound up doing. James Gurney recently reminded us all that "there is more detail in the foreground…less detail in the middle ground and even less in the distance". This sounds simplistic, but I am glad  to be reminded of this. I am showing a recent landscape too.

Jeanie: I brought in a landscape.
  
Loretta L: I went to Mexico recently. I painted a painting about it.
  
Dawn: I have been working on a “community warehouse coffee table”. I didn’t bring it in because …well, a coffee table it is too big! Laughter!

Tracie: It was important to me to make sure I have the right type eggs in the right type nest for this painting. It is semi-abstract and representational.

Joanne K: I am showing a painting from Hipbone Studio. I am in touch with some high school students and a computing teacher. We may be able to offer help to older artists to get something in the way of a website for them up and running. It's all in the thinking stage.

Joanne T:  I signed up in a class at the Scottsdale Art School. I took two classes. I learned so much and I couldn’t believe how humble and nice the instructors are. I had a wonderful time and it is helped me so much. I am showing a landscape and a Seascape.

Tim: I am not a political cartoonist, but I responded to recent events with this drawing/painting. I am also showing a self portrait.

Anna:  I am showing three recent paintings.
  
Announcements:

Art on the Boulevard Friday, April 1-- 10 year anniversary

Kristina Sellers paintings at A Cena Ristorante

Our Facebook page is here (please contribute)!

Recommended instructor Schutte Photography at Multnomah Arts (to learn to photograph your work)

Forever Art (Sidonie Caron) Thursday March 10  (tonight) 5-8pm

Anna Lancaster:
Affolter Gallery, McMinnville Oregon
325 NE Evans, McMinnville Oregon 97128
Phone:(503) 835-1610
The Affolter Gallery has 3rd Saturday events from 5:00 - 8:00 PM

Fine Art Saturdays continue at Studio One Eleven …(live clothed models) email  Joanne for information

Painting Workshops:

Congratulations, Jeanie Bates People’s Choice at OSA

Congratulations, Joanne Kollman for the Rose Festival Queen Portrait (unveiled recently at OSA).
(If you have an interest in submitting to paint the 2016 Queen, contact OSA).


Eric Bowman and Eric Jacobsen:
(Message from Eric B): Come to my studio Saturday, April 2nd for a HUGE 2-Man Studio Sale with me & Eric Jacobsen -- HUNDREDS of paintings and studies from both of our studio backlogs to choose from at garage sale prices!

Hope to see you here!


Thursday Drawing Club results HERE

Thanks for coming today and bringing your ideas and paintings. Next Meeting, Thursday March 17, suggested table topic painting GREEN...tell us anything you want to about what you have learned about GREEN. 

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