Art, LIke Life, Is a Journey, Not a Destination

After sending out my combo newsletter (belly dance and crafting) to 913 people, I got one response this morning from a  lovely lady who wants to get back into "art" and my reply seemed to cover a lot of ground, so I have reprinted it here for you all.

Dear Penny,

I enjoyed reading your blog today, which I received as a result of taking belly dancing classes a few years prior.  I loved art in high school (I am now 55) and my mother disposed of all my art work from then after I moved out.   My husband bought me a sketch pad several years ago that I've never touched.  It's not that I haven't wanted to use it as I am inspired to the point where I think "I can draw or paint that" but it just stays in my head.  While my kids were growing up I would always doodle.  There was a restaurant we would go to where you could color or draw on the tablecloth and they would want to save the doodles.  I guess my main question is, what paint supplies would you suggest a beginner invest in to start with?  Thank you for your time and insight.

Kathy

Hi, Kathy,

Thanks for your email.  I know what you mean about lacking confidence.  For me, what happens is, the more I paint, the better I get and the more confidence I build up.  Like any skill in life that you want to excel in, you have to practice, practice, practice. 

What medium do you want to start with?  Watercolor?  Acrylics?  Oils?  I have just purchased a set of water soluble oils that I can't wait to try.  Usually I paint with acrylics and I prefer the Jo Sonja brand because I was trained as a tole painter, and that's one of the best paints I have found for all surfaces.  I paint on wood, metal, glass, paper, canvas, furniture, walls, etc.  If it doesn't move, I am likely to decorate it. 

I have not tried watercolor, so I can't say what to use in that category.  But I do use a variety of mediums with my acrylics.  I like Liquitex and Golden Brands for art projects and usually purchase the glaze medium, flow medium, retarder (slow drier) in the brand I am using at the time.  I even like the cheap craft paints for some things.  It all depends on what I am doing.  Lately I have started doing mixed media using dimensional paints, gels and additives that make the paint thicker and give it texture on the canvas. 

Brushes seem to be addictive.  I have to have ALL the specialty brushes, and everyone says to buy the best ones you can afford because you will paint better with a good brush.  My favorite type of brush is an angle in various sizes, because I can float color for shading and highlighting, and I can do lots of tole techniques with it.  But I also have fan brushes, rounds, flats, brights, daggers, scruffies, mops, scripts, and comb brushes.  I can use them all for either acrylics or water soluble oils, but not for watercolor.  You need to keep those brushes separate, or so I have been told. 

I'm sure I have just confused you because you wanted to know what to use as a beginner to get into "art."  Well, my other addiction is books.  I love painting books, and recently found 30 of the Walter Foster series at a thrift shop.  I suggest you find a book on the type of painting you want to start with and purchase the items they list in the front that are necessary for that medium.  Or, watch the TV shows on Create TV.  I watch Bob Ross, Susan Scheewe, Donna Dewberry and Jerry Yarnell.  I love videos.  I learn from each and every one of them. 

In fact, Bob Ross is going to be on in a few minutes, so I am getting my tea, settling down in front of the boob tube, and am ready to soak up more painting info.

Good luck to you!  Most of all, have fun!  Life, like art, is a journey.  It's not a destination.

Penny


Penny Stewart, 951 763 2068
Visit my Blog: Painting for Fun and Profit, Becoming An Artist
http://penny-stewart.blogspot.com
See my Store: http://www.pennybiz.etsy.com

The 6 P's of Professional Crafting

The 6 P's of Professional Crafting (an article I wrote several years ago)
Penny Stewart, aka The Pink Gypsy and The Crafty Lady

Penny Stewart, owner of Crafty Lady Boutique online, was a professional crafter for over ten years selling her trompe l'oeil and decorative tole painted pieces in boutiques, craft malls, consignment shops, beauty salons, and craft shows. After displaying her painted furniture and crafts in Crafty Lady Boutique in San Gabriel, California for over a year, Stewart purchased the store and became "The New Crafty Lady." She opened an online store a few months later, and eventually after two years owning and operating a "real" store, she closed the shop and now devotes her time exclusively to the Internet Mall, designing web sites and selling products over the internet.

Some people know her better by her other nicknames - "The Cat Lady," because she painted and sold cat rocks and taught classes in rock painting, or "The Pink Gypsy" because she took up belly dancing and sells belly dance items on http://www.pinkgypsy.com.

Becoming a professional crafter means turning a hobby into a business, but what does that really mean to the average woman who decides to sell her hand-made dolls at a gift store or boutique? There are so many things to consider, like where to sell, how much to charge, how to make a profit, advertising, etc.

The following article outlines the steps in moving from hobbyist to professional crafter, and the advantages of joining forces with other crafters for support and profit. A side bar entitled,"The Six P's of Professional Crafting" is also included, offering suggestions on purchasing materials wholesale, preparing items assembly line style, packaging with an image in mind, pricing competitively, promoting your product, and maintaining a professional attitude.

THE SIX P'S OF PROFESSIONAL CRAFTING There are many things to consider when deciding to turn your crafting hobby into a business. Here are just a few reminders from the owner of an online hand-crafted gift shop where professional crafters sell their crafts. PURCHASING Even if you plan to sell your items through a craft mall or blended boutique where the store owner collects the sales taxes, you should obtain a Resale Certificate and order your supplies in bulk. The money you save by purchasing materials wholesale will increase your profit margins considerably. PREPARATION Plan to make at least six to twelve items at a time and work in assembly line fashion doing repetitive tasks all at once. This will increase your overall profit by decreasing the time it takes you to make an item and you can therefore make more inventory in less time. PACKAGING Consider purchasing professional looking price tags or labels with your name imprinted on them, or use your computer to make some sort of hang tag that creates an "image" for your line of products. It will encourage customers to contact you for special orders and they will be taking home your advertisement each time they buy one of your products. PRICING Comparison shopping helps you keep your prices within a fair market value for the area you are selling in. You need to be competitive, but do not undervalue your time and talent. People do appreciate quality, so if your goods are exceptional, don’t be afraid to ask a better price for them than mass produced imports. PROMOTING Advertising pays, and you pay for advertising. But in some cases, a small ad in a collectible magazine promoting your hand-made dolls or touting your collectible cats in a cat-lovers magazine will do wonders to increase your sales. Mention where the customer can go to see your crafts online or in person. Co-op ads are great because the cost is divided by the number of people involved, and everyone gets exposure. If you sell in a craft store that does direct mail advertising, be sure to give them a copy of your mailing list to add to theirs. Let your customers know where to find your crafts on display virtually or in real time. PROFESSIONALISM Always do what you say you will do. If you promise to deliver a special order this week, do it. And don't promise what you cannot deliver. Taking an order for 100 stuffed animals for a department store that you have doubts you can complete is not only foolhardy, it is unprofessional. Don't be afraid to say, "no thank you" or "I'm sorry. I can't do that." People will appreciate your honesty and they will be back another time with a different request, maybe one you can fulfill.

Why do women love to craft? What possesses them to stockpile paints, fabric, brushes, wood, feathers, flowers, etc., for future projects? Is it some form of temporary insanity that leads a person to spend hours needle pointing, tole painting, knitting, embroidering, gluing and such? Crafting Forever, Housework Never, is the humorous slogan cross stitched or tole painted and hung over the kitchen sink. According to Penny Stewart, owner of Crafty Lady Boutique, an online crafter's mall, crafting can be a serious business, when a person decides to go "Professional." From that moment on a lot more dedication, planning, time, energy, and money are needed than most people realize. Making a commitment Once the decision to go into business has been made, time needs to be allotted not only for making what is going to be sold, but also for pricing, packaging, promoting and selling. "Sometimes a crafter doesn't realize how much actual work is involved," says Stewart." It's best to face all the facts before making a big commitment and end up wasting a great deal of time and money. Talk to others who are successful, and also to those who have failed. Learn from their experiences, so you won't have to make all the mistakes yourself. " Finding an outlet If you are still determined to give it a go, then try selling to friends, family and co-workers. There are many practical advantages, such as no overhead (rent) and less commitment than doing craft shows. Plus, according to Stewart, it helps a crafter to establish a price range and determines whether or not there is a market for the product. But, eventually, if sales are going well, the desire surfaces to expand the customer base, increase profits, and move on to bigger and better things. Now more decisions have to be made. Where is the best place to sell? Craft malls, consignment stores, seasonal boutiques, craft shows -- the list goes on. "There are lots of opportunities to sell crafts these days. Especially with computers," says Stewart. "Every day a new on-line crafters' marketplace surfaces out there beckoning for people to sell their wares on the web. It's a great place for crafters to test the waters with their products. If you shop around you can rent a booth for as little as $10 a month. There's usually a set-up fee for scanning the images and a percentage goes to the store when an item is sold." So, what will it be? (Today, etsy.com is a great place to sell your arts and crafts!) A winning combination By joining forces with other crafters, you could become an entrepreneur without all of the headaches of going it alone. Crafters like to craft, but as a rule they don't particularly like the business end of it," says Stewart. "Joining a crafter's mall on the internet gives you an advantage because when everyone joins together, they get greater advertising exposure for their dollars, and the store has the responsibility of paying the sales tax, collecting the money and dealing with the customers. You get to spend more time at home doing what you love to do most - make more crafts. It's much like renting space in any crafter's mall, only you ship the merchandise to the customer after they have ordered it, so your inventory doesn't have to be as large. And you don't have to lug it into the store." The store has the responsibility of advertising, promoting, and merchandising your crafts for you. It's a winning combination. The more people who visit the mall to shop, the more crafts are sold, and the more crafters want to join the mall. Word of mouth on the internet works even better than it does in the "real" world. Email gets your information out there faster than the grapevine or party line telephones used to, and everyone benefits."