And the winner is....Me?

Wow- offer some free art and you all come out of the woodwork! Thank you for the tremendous response. I will now be making this a routine, so mark your calendars! Leave a comment (all the time) but make sure to do so, on the 3rd Friday of every month, as I will announce a winner of a small painting on paper the 4th Friday. I really wish I could give everyone who wrote in a painting! This month's recipient of the small painting pictured in this post is Suzannah! Congratulations! Please email me (you can find my email in my profile section of this blog) or myspace message me so I can get your postal information.

I want to especially thank my core group of readers that have been with me for quite a while, when no one was reading this blog. I thank you all for your positive encouragement and support; you don't know what your feedback does for my soul.

Now, with that said I also want my readers to understand that I don't just come up with all of this information on my own, I have done quite a bit of reading on the subject of marketing art and I am under the counsel of many wonderful gallery owners who have offered me their great advice. Here are just some of the books that I own on the subject, many of these can be found at your library or at your favorite retailer.

1. Art Marketing 101- A handbook for the fine artist by Constance Smith
2. Art Office- 80+ Business forms, charts, sample letters, legal documents and business plans for the fine artist by Constance Smith and Sue Viders
3. How to survive and prosper as an artist- Selling yourself without selling your soul by Carol Michels
4. The Artist's Way- Julia Cameron
5. How to become a famous artist and still paint pictures- by W. Joe Innis
6. Art & Fear-Observations on the Perils (and rewards) of art making by David Bayles and Ted Orland
7. The War of Art-Break through the blocks and win your creative battles by Steven Pressfield.

Also I do frequent Alyson B. Stanfield's Art Biz blog as well. She offers a lot of helpful information, and I recommend it.

In my blog I try to synthesize all of these resources along with my own personal and practical experiences and then break it down into manageable chunks for you. I want to make sure you know that I am no art biz wizard- just someone like you who read and skimmed a few books and then decided to go for it to the best of my ability, just like you can. I do wish you luck on this journey.

On a different note, last night I went to sleep listening to music (the play list on my MySpace page no less). I love to fall asleep with music as it helps me linger into nostalgia and then guides me into dreams. I was thinking about the concept of acceptance and community and how crucial they are for our well being; acceptance of our true nature, of where we are in our lives, and in our art. A community of our peers is also incredibly important, I think especially for artists of all mediums; a place to express ourselves and receive acknowledgment.

Due to all the support and encouragement I receive from my readers, friends, and patrons; I am now enjoying feeling a part of a community and the acceptance that comes with it. It seems once you find this you are one step closer to freedom. When I feel free, I walk around with a smile on my face. Thank you for being a part of that smile. I have an old "post it" on my studio wall, it reads, "When I paint I feel powerful, clear, and challenged- this is the key." Perhaps, I need to write a new one that says, "When I blog, I feel connected, loved, and with purpose- and it feels great."

Until next week friends- make it creative...