Pricing, Direction & Attitude -More from Jack White

Hi there my friends!
Here as promised are some more of the tips by Jack White.
I as an artist am finding them to be very helpful .
Im sure you will to!



6.  Pricing. Art is only worth what people perceive it to be. Fine art is not something you do by the hour. A Van Gogh sold for $80 million because someone believed the painting was worth that amount. We look at our art as something we do where people are paying us to learn the trade. Every time a painting sells we need to replace the piece. We can use the money received from that sale to live to paint another one.

Collectors are paying for our art education by purchasing our art. So, the price we sell things for, really is not important. What is important is we sell art that has to be replaced. The more you sell, the more you must produce. Artists fail because they get a skewed idea of their worth. As long as your art is selling too cheap, then that is the price point you will be selling at. Like water, your price will seek it's own level. Artists think they should raise prices every year or so. Not so, raise your prices when you are selling more than you can produce.

7.  No direction. Let me pose a question to you, "How are you going to know when you get there, if you don't know where you are going?" Successful artists just don't get up and think because they hang that tag around their necks one day, they will make it. I write, in great detail, in my books about a marketing plan spelling out where you want to go and how you plan to get there. Failure to set goals on where you plan to go is at the foundation of most failures. If you plan to drive from Carmel to Naples, chances are you will mark the route on a map. Make an artist career map.

8.  Attitude. How you think about things is more important than the events happening around you. Artists develop a syndrome taught in art schools. It is a malady titled, "Artistic Temperament". With this temperament follows rudeness, excuses, slovenliness, laziness, clutter, addictions, non-commercial attitudes, un-professionalism and a perfect reason for 


Meanwhile life goes on here at school. Today is "Class Day" Its a day full of celebrations for the graduating class of 2013.



 They all look so fresh and beautiful as they paraded into the auditorium in their caps

 and gowns!

Macrame

Hi my friends!
Yes...Im teaching some of my Juniors  how to macrame!
It is coming back into fashion!
They have all made the woven type of friendship bracelets but now
they will be in the know with macrame bracelets.

There are many types of materials you can use for macrame.
Back in the 70's I used jute for just about everything from wall hangings
to plant hangers.

For the bracelet I am having the students use embroidery floss.
Any cotton cord will be soft and very flexible.

If I were to make a belt I would try and use leather or stiffer plastic cords.

Here are some photos of today's projects.

This is the straight knot look

I love the twisted look!

This is an example of the woven friendship bracelet

Are they cute or what!!!
I love each one of them!!





Now back to Jack Whites
12 Steps to Failure
(see #1, 2 & 3 in last post)


4.  Business knowledge or the lack thereof. The one thing I admire about those artists who do crafts for a living is they see their art as a product. They understand they are in business to earn a living from what they produce with their hands. They have no problem being commercial. Those, whose minds are warped by the "art-talk schools", see selling what they make as prostituting themselves.

Another big reason artists remain in the less than $1,000 per year income bracket is they never build a business plan. No business plan means certain failure. They get hung up on creating, not figuring how they will sell all the "stuff" they make. Unless you can see your art as a product and yourself as a businessperson selling that product, you will forever remain at the bottom. Art is a business, just the same as clock making. The only difference: there is a need for clocks. There is no need for what we make; we are selling "wants" not "needs".

5.  Jealousy. I read where Picasso was jealous of Braque and Braque was jealous of Othon Friez. For those of you who have never heard of Othon Friez (1879–1949), he never reached much fame; however, when he and Braque painted together for a few years, he had a much easier time executing his skill than Braque, thus the jealousy.

I heard an artist say one time that he was jealous of the young children artists becoming so famous. I explained he only knew part of the story. One of the young "superstars" came to America with her parents from the war-torn Bosnia. Alexandra Nechita was eight years old when her parents bought her books on famous modern painters, stuck her in the basement and told her to paint. They found a promoter to market her as a "prodigy". He invested $200,000 and began the process of setting up a marketing plan. The promoter took 75% of all the money earned. The young lady became a star and the promoter got filthy rich. I ask you, Why be jealous of a child who has been robbed of her youth? We have met her on two occasions and find she has sadness in her eyes.

The only person who is hurt by jealousy is you. We harbor no jealousy. Eliminate that word from your life. Happiness is more important than money. I talk a lot about money in my books but only to show you wealth can be achieved. I don't suggest you covet filthy lucre.

WORDS OF WISDOM FOR SURE!!!

All for now
Hugs:O)
Mair

Getting back in the game...

Hi my sweet friends!
What do I mean by the title of this post?

Getting back in the game...
I have been so busy all year with my work at school
that I failed to keep up with my website and blog as much
as I would like to.

I have been doing some reading about what to do and not
to do as an artist.
• Here are some tips I came across from artist/writer Jack White.
Its the "12 Steps to Failure"

1. No one can find you...  I am an artist and people like my work but...
How many people are out there that have not seen my work...?
We artists need to let the public see our art. I can do this
 by up dating up my web site and blog.

2. Focus... As Jack White says-"Until an artist can find a voice/style that connects with the buying public and stay with it long enough for the foundation to take root, he will always be way back in the pack, frustrated and angry because he has not been "discovered."
 I am guilty of this as I love experimenting with different styles and techniques.
But...I must say I always go back to realism.

3. Distractions- Artists can find excuse after excuse not to produce work.

"Art is a jealous lover; she wants all your attention."

So yes I have a family and a full time job but... YES...

I can make the time to produce art if I am serious about it!

This is just 3 of the tips he writes about

I will be back with more!

Hugs to you all!

Mary

Month of May

Hi my friends
I am back!!!
Usually the month of May is my favorite month
and I get all energized from the
warmer temperatures and the beautiful
blossoms that are in bloom.

This month I celebrate my Birthday and also most
 importantly I celebrate the
life of my precious Father.

My sweet Dad went to Heaven on Saturday May 11th at 2am.
His passing leaves my heart broken and my mind numb.
Daddy became ill on Sunday April 28. One thing just led to another
and on Saturday while at my Grandsons Birthday Parties in Pennsylvania
 we received notice from my brother that Dad
 was now also suffering from pulminary emboli in
both lungs. My sister and I quickly flew home.

Monday things looked much better so they released Dad
from the hospital. The EMT who drove the ambulance was
actually from Worcester MA so it was interesting to speak with him.

On Wednesday (my Birthday) Dad slept all day and the Dr. said he was
gravely ill not to go anywhere. My sweet daughter CandyBar and
 her husband came to KY with their darling little baby son.

On Thursday Daddy woke up and was able to see his darling grand
daughter, her hubby and adorable Great- Grandson!!
Then that afternoon Dad took a real turn for the worse and Hospice
was called in. My sister and I took turns sitting and holding Dad, we sang to him and
read the Bible to him too
In the wee hours of the morning Saturday we were called to hurry in as Dads
condition was rapidly deteriorating.

How lucky I am to have been blessed with such a treasure of a Dad!!
He was so smart and had a quick wit about him. He loved children!
He LOVED his  3 children, 5 grandchildren and 4 great
grand children. And we all certainly loved him back!!!

Daddy
-Forever in my heart

Ring a Bling!

Hi my dear friends!!

Look what they've done to my phone ma!
(remember the song by Melanie from the 1970s?)

Anyways....My phone is a lot less slippery 

and a lot easier to find now!!!

Been a busy and hectic week here but I wanted to say hi and

let you know I'm here working in the studio .

Have a wonderful weekend all!!

Hugs,

Mary