Art Blog - Mary Lawler

Independent Coffee Network News The Good News: Seven more coffee shops have been added to the network feed. The coffee shops are located in Pasadena, Burbank, Alhambra, Monterey Park, Redondo Beach, San Dimas, Hollywood and Ventura (2) and the network is growing rapidly. ICN has also struck a deal with Aardvark Records, check it out: "Aardvark Records and World Wide Arts' Independent Coffee Network have announced a licensing deal . which sees the British record label supplying the US-based music video entertainment provider with its promotional music videos. The video licensing deal will see popular videos broadcast in independent American coffee houses from coast to coast."… Continue reading… 2 comments

I thought everyone should get a little good news. Sandy DiCristofaro received a commission last week from someone who saw her work on her ArtId site. A few days later, I got a calligraphy job from someone who found my ArtId site in a Google search for calligraphers. Leaving links, blogging, and social media really does pay off… Continue reading… 2 comments

If there is any one thing that can bring your creativity to a halt, it's a negative attitude. If you think everything is bad, then it will be. The news media has the power of negative thinking and will only report the worst. It's catchy, all that doom and gloom and it's easy to get stuck in their quicksand. … Continue reading… 2 comments

What if Oprah bought a painting on line, or Martha Stewart or Ty Pennington? All it would take, for online art sales to become less intimidating is for one celebrity, one television show, one main stream media giving their endorsement of buying art online and it would change the tide dramatically. If Oprah showed a piece of art on her show that she bought online, people wouldn't be able to get to art sites fast enough. If one HGTV decorating show included buying original art online for a project, it would break the barrier wide open. … Continue reading… 16 comments

Art Licensing is one venue for art sales that artists often over look. We often think of licensing as art for stickers or calendars but in truth the opportunities are vast. It's not just cute geese and ribbons on coffee cups and tee shirts. Many artists become well known through their designs applied to everyday consumer goods. Expert, Tara Reed explains "Licensing" is another way of generating income from your art. Instead of selling originals or selling your designs outright, many artists will grant the right (license) to use their art on a specific product, for a set time period in exchange for a percentage of sales. This percentage is called a royalty. By licensing your art, you have the potential to earn income on the same art piece or collection several times."… Continue reading… 4 comments

I sat down to write this article about how important it is to keep your site fresh and current when I remembered that my own site hadn't been touched in ages. Shame on me. It's under complete re-construction right now. Here's why: Your site is your brochure and your business card. You wouldn't keep handing out brochures that were outdated would you? It costs money to print new brochures and business cards but to update your site is FREE. … Continue reading… 4 comments

A few of my paper quilting pieces are in the Winter 2009 issue of Sew Somerset. Pages 130 and 131. I get very excited when I get published, it's a big thrill. This will be the sixth time I have been published in a Somerset Studio sister magazine. I try to submit my work to magazine calls for art as ofter as possible. It is time consuming, but when you get accepted, the exposure is huge. Look for publications in your media that accepts submissions from their readers and give it a try. You can't get accepted if you don't submit… Continue reading… 3 comments

The Tale of Annie Artist Once upon a time, there was an artist named Annie. Annie was a painter, a very good painter. Annie brought her wares to craft shows and art fairs and all across the land. All the traveling took time and money and Annie wanted more time to paint. Annie's "all across the land" was small and she knew she needed to reach more folk (people) so she could sell more paintings. So Annie took some paintings to Ye Olde Local Art Gallery and sold a one or two to some patrons (art collectors). Lo, it was not enough.… Continue reading… 7 comments

Tara Reed is a licensed artist who has written several books " How To Get Started In Art Licensing", "How to Find, Interact and Work with Manufacturers who License Art" and "Repeat Borders and Patterns". Her blogs are interesting, informative and will certainly make you want to find out more about an often overlooked avenue for artists to sell their work. Tara is graciously sharing her experience in the industry and her business background with artid members. Please visit her Art Licensing Information Blog to learn more about Art Licensing… Continue reading… 1 comment

I'd just like to say at the outset, that the word "Blog" is one of the ugliest words to come on the cyber-speak scene. Therefore, I am using the term "MyLog" instead. In the coming months I will bore you with my un-asked for opinion on a variety of subjects, answer questions if there are any, and tell some funny stories. More than likely it will be of interest to only me. If someone posts a mylog and no one reads it, does it make a sound? I have kept a written journal since I was 17 and sure my life was over. That was a lot of years and volume upon volume of self indulgent crap, ago. I like the sheer act of writing,the sound of the pen conversing with the paper, the movement and the quiet. My journals remind me of how I felt that day, that hour, in that circumstance… Continue reading… 3 comments