ebsq1:1 – Art & News from EBSQ

EBSQ 1:1 – What art medium would you love to learn?

As a painter I am always seeking new techniques to use in my work. I believe venturing into unfamiliar mediums from time to time will benefit the one I mostly work with. It allows me to come back with a fresh view. One art form I would love to learn is sculpture. Throughout history materials continue to be diverse, enabling endless possibilities that are only limited by our imaginations.

Betty Refour

I’ve never been able to get the hang of colored pencils. I see work that other artists have done and it’s amazing but I just can’t get the hang of them. I would love to learn how to use colored pencils.

Cindy Couling

I’ve always wanted to learn stained glass but I am really afraid of having to cut the glass, and working with hot materials like solder.

Keri Colestock

The other medium would be welding kinetic sculptures. I would like to use rock with the metal. If i could get movement it would be even crazier! I have never welded & it would be a challenge as the Lyme leaves me weak so I do not know if physically it is possible. But maybe I’ll just have to attempt it!

What art medium have you always wanted to learn?

EBSQ 1:1 – Where do you shop for art supplies?

Catherine Darling Hostetter

My favorite shop for arts supplies is the one that I can get the best deal at. I live within 8-10 blocks of a Michaels, JoAnns, and an Utrecht art supply, and I always go armed with coupons. I love that most of these stores have apps and I can access them from my phone, because too often I run out the door without the paper coupon.

Patience

My community has a really neat, unique resource here in town, called the “I.D.E.A. Store.” It’s essentially a resale shop….for gently used art and craft supplies and all kinds of assorted donated odds and ends intended for recycling and reuse. It’s a mixed bag every time I go in there — never quite know what you are going to find….but I’ve purchased (at crazy low prices) tubes of paint and jars of gesso and mod podge with plenty of product still in them, paint brushes, brayers, art books, stamps,maps and sheet music for mixed media projects, yarn, frames, and more. Staffed by volunteers, all proceeds benefit a local school districts. So indeed — pretty cool, and something every community should have!

Misty Benson

I always love to dreamily float through Michaels Stores (Arts and Crafts Supply) for inspiration and quick fixes. Since it’s in so many states, I can even pick up emergency supplies (yes, an art emergency!) when I’m traveling to and from art shows. For items they don’t stock, I buy from various online sites for items such as my favorite clay for making Skellies and stretcher bars for limited edition canvases of my Big Eye Beauties!

EBSQ 1:1 – What has influenced your art over the years?

Mary Ogle

The prevailing influence upon my artwork is technology. I was trained as a traditional oil painter, but vision problems forced me to turn to computer technology in order to see fine detail. I continue to draw and paint by hand, I simply use a mouse now instead of a brush.

Tiffany Towland-Scott

I’ve always been interested in artwork my whole life, and as a child I was an avid reader and loved fantasy novels. Now I only really have time to listen to audio books while I work, but I still generally choose fantasy novels. Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke is my very favorite book, and I usually watch A Midsummer Night’s Dream with Stanley Tucci as Puck at least three or four times a week. I usually have movies or books playing in the studio while I work, but I also listen to symphonic metal and get a lot of my best ideas from music.

EBSQ 1:1 – What two colors are a must have on your palette?

Tracey Allyn Greene

Two must haves on my palette. Ultramarine blue and burnt sienna. So many color combos possible….cools and warms…..and together they make a great black and warm greys with white.

Kimberly Vanlandingham

The two colors my palette is never without are terra rosa and yellow ochre. I tone all of my canvas with a gray/green and under paint my larger paintings with terra rosa. The contrast really helps me work out composition and value issues before committing to my final work. Yellow ochre is a versatile color that mixes well with other colors to form natural looking hues. No matter what I’m working on, I put them out every time.

Melanie Douthit

I must do this unconsciously, but my two must have colors (besides black and white) are green and red. These naturally complimentary colors create so much visual fun that they shouldn’t be reserved only for Christmas.

EBSQ 1:1 – What contemporary artist would you like to meet?

Leola Walker

I would love to meet Jakub Julian Ziolkowksi. He’s very young. Young enough not to be afraid to make a statement. His art is bold and daring and very excessive. I find him very refreshing.

Diana Mae Potts

Cecily Brown, the featured artist in the February, 2013 edition of “Vogue” magazine comes to mind as a contemporary artist I would like to meet. Although my subject matter is rarely the human form, her powerful and insightful freedom of expression making people accessible and familiar inspires me and resonates with the goals in my own art. She seems very focused and busy so I would leave any meeting on her terms.

Studio 524

We’d love to meet Annie Preece. Her work is big, loud, colorful, full of energy and packed with punch. It speaks loudly in quiet rooms. That she’s one of the few women who are recognized and respected in the urban art arena – yeah. That doesn’t hurt either.

Mark Satchwill

I’d like to meet the French artists Pierre and Gilles, whose beautiful images (a mixture of photography and painting) have been a big influence on my work, to talk about their methods and influences. And because they are rather handsome!

EBSQ 1:1 – What’s your #1 tip for budding artists?

James Pearson

I’d say my number one tip for budding artists would be to dedicate time each day to the creative process. We’re all stretched pretty thin making a living and can’t always find time to paint or even sketch daily. On those days, make time to read an inspiring article, watch an interview with someone in the creative arts, do some Google image searches or try visiting a virtual gallery. These don’t have to be in your direct field of work. Have faith in the process. It may take some time but what goes in one day comes out another.

Lindi Levison

Don’t be too self-critical. Even the masters don’t create masterpieces every single time! Explore a lot of different mediums in order to find your niche.

Amie Gillingham

I decided to pass the buck on this question and ask my 6 and 8 year old children. My son said to practice drawing everything and look at things very carefully. My daughter said whether you draw, paint, or sculpt, you should start with something you’re really interested in (in her case, Garfield and Pokemon) and explore it because you make better art when you care about what you’re making. A few minutes later, she also chimed in with, “Oh, and be creative!”

I think there’s a lot of precocious wisdom in their answers: practice, observation, passion, curiosity, a connection to your subject. All children are born artists. (And scientists, too, for that matter.) The secret is to hold onto this wisdom as you grow up.

EBSQ 1:1 – What’s your most creative time of day?

John Wright

My most creative time of day is early morning. I like get up, make a cup of coffee and get straight down to painting. Still being half asleep seems to make the work and ideas flow much easier than later in the day.

So Jeo LeBlond

My most creative time of day is late at night after the kids have been tucked into bed. The house is still and quiet and I know there will be no interruptions. The phone will not ring, no one at the door, even the pets are sleeping peacefully. I can submerge myself wholly in my work and time just goes by without my notice, this is when my best work is created.

Carolyn Schiffhouer

My most creative time of the day is usually when the muse strikes me and I never know when that is going to happen. I will say, though, that many of those times seem to happen when the day is almost over and everything is quiet. Nothing pulls me away from creating and that is nice!

EBSQ1:1 – What’s your can’t-live-without art supply?

Torrie Smiley

The one thing I can’t do without is my shoplight and OttLite. I have a day job and often paint at night. My vision is very poor in the evening and I could not paint without a good light. I have 1000 watt halogen shoplight for the room. I use an OttLite for my small paintings. The OttLite can be very expensive, I bought mine on sale at Christmas and glad I did.

Andrée Chenier

My can’t live without art supply is sterling silver. I could use brass or copper but silver is much nicer to work with than those other metals, and not just because of its colour. It’s smoother to saw through, the solder joints aren’t as obvious and you can do things with it you can’t do with brass or copper, like depletion guild it.

Christine Striemer

This is a tough question. I am a simple painter. I use paint, water, brushes, palette knives, gesso and canvas. I can not live without any one of those supplies. I really have no tricks or secrets to offer. I can tell you that my most replaced supply would be script liner brushes and detail round brushes of various sizes.

Laura Barbosa

My most important art supply are “Oval Poly Sponges” They are synthetic and blend all my background colors better than any brush I have ever used. They are resistant to chemicals and grease and hold only water so they are ideal for acrylic application. I also use one for finishing my paintings with protective varnish because they make an even application. The cleanup is easy, just rinse and squeeze with warm water.

Lisa Wiktorek

At Crafts Charms and Collectibles, we could not live without our photo CHARMS!!!!! Our jewelry is all about the theme, our theme is encased in our handmade photo CHARMS.

Sherry Key

Well, I think every new art supply I get is one I can’t do without. I’ll pass up new shoes or clothes for new little art goodies. But if a non-artist came to my studio they would think I had a colored pencil fetish. That’s the basis of two thirds of my artwork over the last couple of years, and the one I would hate to do without.

EBSQ 1:1 – What inspires you?

Jeanne Harlan-Marriott

The beauty of nature has always been my greatest source of inspiration, but I find inspiration in many different areas. Sometimes I will just browse photos on the web and other times I’ll go specifically looking for a particular subject matter. Often it is the colors that dazzle me and get my creative juices flowing. Another invaluable source of inspiration is my artist friends! Art inspires Art!

Mats Eriksson

I sometimes get inspired when I take a walk in the city (Stockholm) or in a nearby forest. The majestic trees that partly covers the sunshine on the ground with all green color tones. Mossy roots and maybe some mushrooms. I Stockholm there are quite a few viewpoints where I get a panorama over the city – also very inspiring. I go to a gym a few days a week, and some of the people there have bodies that inspires me to paint nudes. A dream or a sudden inner ‘picture’ can inspire me to make the more abstract works.

Lisa Miller

I am inspired by the simple everyday things that most people don’t notice.

I see the ordinary as extraordinary.

Luiza Vizoli

I have many things that inspire me. I look at the world around me and whatever grasps me at the moment, I paint. The type of colors, materials and designs also greatly influence me. I love bold colors and try to incorporate them in my art as much as possible. Coming into contact with new materials and new techniques makes me excited to incorporate them in my artwork. I draw a lot of inspiration from nature as well. It is beautifully crafted and I find splendor and inspiration anywhere I look, no matter the season.

For my more religious paintings, I use my faith as my muse.

Roy Alba

When I decided to dedicate my website to The Greatest Generation I thought I would mostly play 1940’s music from the time they were young. Also, the salute I gave to the pretty lady with the magical voice wasn’t yet born, nor were many of us. So I temporarily removed my painting of her. However, I still paint to her music and thought which musician could inspire more than Sarah Brightman and her orchestra? She has so many songs I could still pick them to go with the 1940’s scenes. This web site gives credit where its due. Why not tell the truth and at the same time give credit to the generation that so well deserves it?

EBSQ Facebook Artist of the Week: Nico Niemi

Who and where are you?

My name is Nicole Marie Winkelman, but I still use the nickname Nico and my maiden name Niemi for my artwork. I have loved creating artwork for as long as I can remember. My mother is an artist as well and was a source of inspiration for me from a young age. I’ve traveled the country but always reside in Wisconsin, and currently live in Waukesha.

How were you introduced to Facebook?

I joined Facebook to keep in touch with distant friends and relatives who already used it. After exploring other art pages I realized how easy it is to create one, I made one for myself.

Any tips for other artists starting a Facebook Page?

Invite your friends to your page when you first start out, let anyone else who is interested in your artwork know you have the page, and post artwork as often as you can. People love pictures! Have information about where to find your artwork if they’d like to own some, and how to contact you. Don’t be discouraged if you don’t always get the ‘likes’ you’re looking for-getting going can take a little time.

What’s your favorite Facebook Page feature?

My favorite feature would have to be sharing. When people share your artwork it broadens your reach and brings so many more people in-some who might never have looked for your artwork in the first place. Facebook makes your art so easy to find for anyone who has it, and makes interaction with anyone who is interested easy as well. I really like just about all the features it has.

What’s coming next from your studio?

All sorts of things! There will be fantasy creatures, and brilliant colors, some holiday items, but definitely more cat-themed artwork. I have a new kitten in my home and he is a source of inspiration I literally can’t ignore.

See more of Nico’s art and follow her here:

EBSQ

Facebook

eBay

EBSQ 1:1 with Dawn Hough Sebaugh

Who and where are you?

I was born in North Carolina and currently live in the San Diego, California area. I received a BA in Marketing from Pfeiffer College in North Carolina and a Degree in Color and Design from Parson’s School of Design in New York and also attended fine arts programs at Denver University in Colorado. I have been painting organic abstracts for over 30 years. My muse is PASSION…using Color and Texture. I paint in both acrylic and oil. I also believe in giving back so I donate paintings to numerous charities.

How did you become involved in the RAWards?

I actually got an email from the director of Raw Artists (who had seen my painting on line) asking if I would participate in their next show. I looked at the venue and thought “wow…I’ll be displaying my work on a 12 foot long chain link fence. I’ve never done that…how cool! ”. I also love the fact that Raw Artists supports the art, music, fashion, and entertainment community!

What happens if you win and how can fans vote for you?

The semi-final event is Friday November 16th at 7:00 until 12:00 am at 4th and B St San Diego. This is a LIVE VOTE event so you must attend to vote. I really hope if you are in the area you will stop by and VOTE!

http://www.rawartists.org/wwwdawnsebaughcom

There are some great prizes!

Write up in Arts N Fashion Magazine, write up in the Upchuck Magazine, Print package from Impact Visual Arts, Gift Card from Visual Shop, Placement at an Artist Show at Graffiti Beach, Photo Studio time at Industry Showroom, Placement on Gallery Wall at Industry Showroom, Placement at the San Diego Indie Fest 2013, Placement at an Atre Fresca, Winners interview from Charles Thi, and a Placement at a RAW: San Diego Show 2012 plus even more perks!

When the awards are over, what’s next for you?

That’s a hard one! If I would be lucky enough to win…”Look Out! The skies the limit!” I will of course continue to create and sell my paintings at shows, galleries and on-line. I believe I will start helping to mentor more young artists and get them involved in the San Diego art culture.

Thanks to all who have supported my art and to all of you who can attend this event and hopefully vote for me!

http://www.rawartists.org/wwwdawnsebaughcom

Follow Dawn @

EBSQ

Facebook

Etsy

EBSQ 1:1 with Windi Rosson on The Painted Bra Project

Who and where are you?

Windi Rosson, Owner/Artist of Winjimir Studio in Ga.

How did you find out about the Painted Bra Project and what made you want to participate?

I first found out about the Painted Bra Art Project last year, when fellow EBSQ artist Tracey Allyn Greene (Tag’s Cats) participated. But I had missed all the dead lines and vowed to submit work to it this year.

I wanted to do it, because there are many people in my life that have been affected by various forms of cancer, this was my way of being able to help out. Even if it is just a little bit, it’s all for a common goal and good cause…plus I got to figure out how paint on a bra.

Tell us a little about the bras you painted. Was there anything special you had to do to prepare them?

My “Moundnet” bra was treated with a few layers of fabric paste. Since I am an impressionist painter with a fondness of texture it was important that I be able to create that on the bra. The pink hues in the sky and the texture made me think of Monet, hence the name.

The “snowflake” bra was spray painted a few times until I figured out how to get the depth of color I wanted for the background and the snowflakes were created using a stencil from some left over scraps from a card making class I took, which coincidentally is taught by a cancer survivor.

I understand your bras were accepted into a juried online auction, how does that work for folks who’d like to bid?

At first the call was to submit BRA’sterpieces and 100 would be chosen for the auction. This year due to overwhelming response they ended up with about 200 BRA’sterpieces included in the auction. The online auction is held at ThePaintedBraProject.com and anyone can register to bid on items.

There are many other items besides bras available at the auction so please have a look. All of the proceeds will be donated.

Here’s a link to my items: Windi Rosson Painted Bra Project

I have also donated an ArtSkrap™ Pendant and Earring set to the auction.

For those interested in participating maybe next year you can follow the Facebook page, or sign up for the email list on the website.

I would also like to ask that everyone reading this pass on the links to the auction, via Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, blogs, email,….the more eyes this event gets in front of the better outcome for a great cause.

Thank you Windi and best of luck in the auction!

You can follow Windi at:

EBSQ

Facebook

LiveJournal

EBSQ Facebook Artist of the Week: Melody Cole-Gates

Who and where are you?

My name is Melody Cole-Gates, I am a Visual Artist, mother and wife from Dayton, Ohio. I like to make expressionist figuratives, florals, landscapes and abstracts. I mostly paint positive images of women of color in intimate scenes that reflect motherhood, relationships, African American culture and spirituality for everyone to enjoy.

How were you introduced to Facebook?

I was introduced to Facebook by Twitter, lol. I had been a self-represented artist online for about 3 years back then, and decided to do research on the best websites to sell my artwork. Well, I didn’t have far to Google, because the artists I was following on twitter were all tweeting about the new Facebook Fan pages. They liked Facebook, because it was (and still is) a great place for artists to show their work, link to other websites and receive instant feedback from their fans, not to mention reunite with old high school buddies, lol. Of course, I had to sign up! I started my first Facebook Fan page in 2009, as “Studio Meco“. In July 2012, I decided to create a new Facebook page to establish my art under my God-given married name.

Any tips for other artists starting a Facebook Page?

If you have a personal profile page on Facebook, you’re half way there, because you can’t create a Facebook page for your art without having one for yourself. Once you have a page, upload a nice profile picture of you or your artwork to connect instantly with your audience. Make sure to include your bio, email address and the link to your website or art shop to let people quickly find out who you are, what you do, how to contact you and where they can see more of your work. Treat your Facebook photo album like an art portfolio. Title each album, include your best artwork and write details about each piece. Keep your posts short, sweet and simple. I like to post (at least once a week) about my recent sales, latest creations and paintings in progress. Other ideas may be to let everyone know about upcoming shows, events, features and awards you’ve won, etc. Talk about anything you think your audience would be interested in art wise. Engage with your audience in a friendly, upbeat and professional manner, as though you were talking with them one on one inside your studio or over the phone. Answer comments and questions as soon as you can, they’ll appreciate you for it. To get your first few likes, Facebook has a feature that allows you to invite your friends and email contacts to your page or perhaps you’d like to tell them all on your personal Facebook wall (hey that rhymed 🙂 Another way to promote your new Facebook page is by letting everyone know how excited you are about it in your next blog post, maybe tweeting a link to your followers, or leaving a link on all those cool artists’ sites, you’re hanging out in. Remember not to take it personally or get discouraged if everyone you’ve asked to Like your page… doesn’t actually click the Like button. Who knows? They could be admiring your page from a distance 🙂 Hope this helps!

What’s your favorite Facebook Page Feature?

My favorite Facebook page feature is the MESSAGES. Only because potential buyers or someone interested in your artwork can contact you privately if they want. Plus, let’s say you’re working on a commission portrait for a fellow facebooker, through messages you’re allowed to attach and receive photos from your clients without leaving Facebook. How cool is that?

What’s coming next from your studio?

From my studio, you’ll be seeing a lot of warm colors in my palette, like rich beautiful Wines, Limes, Chocolates and Caramels! Right now, I’m working on a bold new series embracing natural beauty. Also, I have a new website and blog that I’ll be launching next month. In 2013, I plan to start displaying my paintings locally here in Dayton, and I’m very excited about it. I have some great new paintings in mind, so be sure to watch out for my freshest art right here on EBSQ.

Thank you!!

Explore Melody’s art here:

http://www.facebook.com/melodycolegatesART

http://melodycole.ebsqart.com/

EBSQ 1:1 with Caroline Baker

Who and where are you?

I’m Caroline Baker. Sometimes I include my maiden name, Lassovszky because it’s unique – only my parents and brother share this name in the U.S., though sometimes I realize it might be too long a string of letters for anyone to remember. I grew up in the suburbs outside of Washington, D.C., both on the Maryland and Virginia sides of the beltway, though at this point I have spent more of my years in far Southwestern Virginia, which is a very different environment. I started my undergraduate art degree in Radford, Virginia, also started a family and then moved even farther southwest to just outside the town of Pound, Virginia. I was able to complete my degree at the University of Virginia’s College at Wise in 2000. The visual art major had just become available there, so it contrasted in many ways with what I experienced in the more established art department at Radford. After working several graphic design jobs and doing drafting with a small local civil engineering business, I got a Master’s degree in education and taught art in public schools grades K-12 for several years. I have come full circle as I am currently teaching visual arts courses at U.V.A. Wise.

Can you tell us how you combined textile arts with your oil painting?

I have enjoyed working with paint for as long as I can remember. I suppose I was in high school when I started playing around with dyes. I was really just experimenting with the drugstore Rit dyes, making t-shirts for friends and so forth. I was introduced to the fiber reactive MX dyes through a surface design class at Radford and continued to just play with them as a side project separated from painting. When I started stretching my own canvases, the idea that canvas did not necessarily have to remain a two-dimensional object throughout my process interested me, and I liked the aspects akin to watercolor involved in simply staining the canvas with the dyes as a sort of underpainting before stretching the canvas and working with it as an oil painting.

I also find the idea of the support/ground matrix intriguing as this object that changes character so drastically once it is prepared to become a painting, the fact that paintings on canvas began their existence as a textile object, something more associated with craft than the idea of “Art” tied to the description of a painting as “oil on canvas”. There is an element of a cycle of deconstruction/reconstruction involved in processing the canvas to remove sizing and folding it into a three-dimensional object or sewing it only to take it apart and flatten it later. All of the things I do in the beginning of my process are tied to the object as a textile, where as the later stages – stretching, priming, sometimes sanding and going through adding passages in paint involve characteristics of the object as support/ground, which feels very different to me, as though I am enabling and directing this metamorphosis. Recently I began to see parallels in this process with what I observe in the management of the land around me through coal extraction and worked through a series of landscape paintings based on those observations. For instance, the winery and a local site used a a flea market interested me because of the reuse of the land in the continuing cycle heavily influenced and accelerated for good or bad by human intervention. As of late I have found myself moving back in the direction of lyrical abstraction and linking this to my feelings regarding a specific sense of place.

How long does it take you from start to finish to complete one of your canvas dyed paintings?

A lot of times it depends on how much work I need to put into the beginning part of the process and what techniques I decide to use as well as the results with the dyes. If I bind the canvas using a lot of sewing, it takes quite a bit longer. At this point I am relatively sure of the results I will get from the dye stage, but sometimes the results are not what I need and I set it aside for another idea that aligns with the resulting “underpainting” better and start over with a new piece of canvas. Sometimes I continue working with the same canvas by folding or binding again and over dyeing, or using discharge techniques to remove some dye. The minimum amount of time I have spent on a piece like this is three days including time for the wet, dyed canvas to dry, heat setting if I choose to, rinsing, stretching and priming. Many times it depends on how much I want to meld the results of the dye techniques with the painting. I like the idea that both processes become so integrated in the final product that the viewer would need to look for where one is more prominent than the other or the two dovetail. I tend to spend a lot of time working with layering glazes when I paint so that there are areas where both processes work well together and coexist easily on the canvas, though sometimes a piece will call for bringing attention to the contrasting natures of the processes and media as well.

What’s coming next from your studio?

Some of the surface design techniques involved with the dyes lend themselves to repetition and symmetry, and I want to use those qualities in conjunction with the idea that seems to be becoming prevalent in our information-saturated culture that if you repeat something enough times and in the right places, they necessarily become the truth whether they began that way or not, and how subtle shifts in the way things are repeated reinforce or change that perception of something as fact. I want to work with minimization and regulation in the way I work with potentially repeating shapes and forms that result from my process without losing the expressive qualities I think are also important in dealing with cultural content. I plan to return to square format at a larger scale, but I have some ideas for series of things at a small or miniature scale as well.

Thank you Caroline for sharing your process and your art with us today!

Want more? Follow Caroline and her art here:

http://ilex9.ebsqart.com/

http://www.facebook.com/CarolineHBakerFineArt

EBSQ Facebook Artist of the Week: So Jeo LeBlond

Who and where are you?

My name is So Jeo LeBlond and I am a Pysanky / Batik Egg artist living in Nova
Scotia Canada. I use the traditional Ukrainian technique of decorating real
blown eggshells using a writing instrument called a kistka to write designs on
the shells with hot melted beeswax and then color them using dyes. I enjoy
taking traditional and non-traditional elements and producing my own unique
creations.

How were you introduced to Facebook?

I first started using Facebook like so many others as a personal page, using it
as a social platform to keep in touch with friends and family. In 2010, I
created my Facebook Page to display my artwork. I realized that it was the
perfect platform to advertise my artwork and it’s free!

Any tips for other artists starting a Facebook Page?

My tip for other artists starting a Facebook Page is say you want to post a
photo of a new piece to several different groups, post one photo only and then
share that photo to the groups. This way whenever someone clicks on your
photo, it will bring them back to your page.

What’s your favorite Facebook Page feature?

I love that I can incorporate all the individual web services that I use into
one place. It’s like having a second website, as it incorporates my Etsy
store, eBay auctions, Zazzle products and Flickr photos. I also love that it is
so easy to share information and photos of my artwork, plus my posts reach so
many others that might not necessarily come across my work otherwise.

What’s coming next from your studio?

This year I would like to increase my jewelry line, creating more designs,
styles and increasing my clientele.

Vicky Knowles: Holding onto a Vision

Your paintings have revolved around Wibbley World for more than a decade, tell us, what is a Wibble and where did you get the idea?

The Wibbles are just the creatures who live in Wibbley World! I never set out to come up with a brand or a name for my universe of characters, it just evolved on its own. At first the name was “Wiggly World” which came to me repeatedly when I was painting (back in 1999 when I first started selling on ebay) – it was literally as if my characters were telling me who they were, but I heard it wrong – “Wiggly World” wasn’t quite right. A few years later I was redesigning my website and for some reason I wrote “Wibbley World” as the title, and that was it!

Are there any artists you feel are/were instrumental to your style of painting and the subject matter?

I would say there are many artists I admire and I’m sure that they do influence my work, although probably mostly in technique rather than subject matter, since my characters are so completely personal to me. I study the work of other artists with the goal of better representing my own vision. For example, if I see an artist whose technique I admire I want to know how it was done – what materials were used, etc. Even if I’m not successful, I still believe the information is still being processed on a subconscious level and eventually I hope to incorporate it into my work.

Have you ever found it difficult to stay inspired and true to your vision?

Yes, periodically I get bored and feel uninspired – at times I feel like my work is too predictable, particularly when I’m creating “for” something (like a show, or for the Nibblefest contest, etc.), or when I’m trying to interpret someone else’s idea instead of my own. At times like that I feel frustrated and am tempted to quit (although invariably that’s when some sort of external validation will come along.) What helps me through this is looking back through my older paintings and sketchbooks, and creating for myself rather than with the intention of selling. I have no problem staying “true to my vision,” in fact I wish I could branch out more (be more serious, more commercial, etc.) but somehow I always end up “Wibblifying” whatever I’m working on, even if that was never my intention.

Do you have a favorite character from your World of Wibble?

I don’t like to have favorites, but if I did it would have to be Lunchbox, the lunch-pail toting, diaper-wearing chipmunk. Lunchbox is a true innocent who frequently finds himself in predicaments. But everything always turns out ok in the end, because when you have your lunch-pail and your diaper, what more do you really need?

http://platypus.ebsqart.com/

http://www.evknowles.com/

http://wibbleyworld.blogspot.com/

Interview with Mark Satchwill: Going Digital

EBSQ’s Mark Satchwill has long been known for his watercolor paintings, particularly his portraits of amazing accuracy and depth. Over the last year, Mark has taken those skills and applied them digital painting. I had a virtual sit-down with Mark to discuss this transition, his challenges and passion.

Can you tell us how and why you ventured into digital painting?

There were a few factors involved. One was simple curiosity – I was seeing a lot of digital art around and wanted to try it. I was also doing regular illustration work and had ended up with a big pile of drawings that were just taking up space – I figured if I began to do that work digitally it would save on space and materials! I also felt I needed a new challenge, something new to learn. So, I bought a drawing tablet and then did some research to decide which art software to buy (I bought Painter, ArtRage and Manga Studio), then set about learning to use them!

What have you found most challenging when working in digital?

I think the hardest thing was learning to use a tablet and pen. It’s almost like learning to draw again, as instead of looking down at your hand on the paper as you draw you, your hand is drawing on the tablet and you are looking at what you’re drawing on the screen – so there is a disconnection that takes some getting used to. I think the other challenge is to retain your own artistic personality and style. So much digital art has a rather generic look to it, it’s lacking that stamp of personality that traditional has but I think coming to digital with good traditional skills makes a big difference in your approach.

For you, what is the biggest difference when using digital vs. traditional tools?

I think it’s the freedom digital allows. As I don’t have to think about buying new materials or wasting materials I can be free to be more experimental. I’m free do much larger work as I don’t have to worry about space. Thanks to working with layers if I paint something and it doesn’t work or I mess it up I can just delete it rather than have to start the whole image again from scratch. And there’s no mess or tools to clean up!

Have you encountered any issues selling digital art compared to traditional?

Yes. I think there are a couple of reasons. One is that if you purchase a digital artwork you purchase it as a file or a print, so that feeling of buying a physical object that someone has created isn’t there. I think people will gradually come around to the idea though. The other reason, relating to my own work, is that people have got to know me for traditional watercolour work and are less receptive to my digital work. I think there is mistrust from many traditional artists about digital – they think that it’s trickery and that it’s somehow easier and needs less skills, that it’s sort of cheating. Of course there are tools that can be used to cut corners if you want to but if you don’t have the basic traditional skills they will only take you so far. Ultimately digital is just another medium and it’s the end result itself which is most important. I’ve barely scratched the surface of what’s possible and I’m loving working digitally. It doesn’t mean I will totally give up working traditionally – there is plenty of room for both!

http://marksatchwill.ebsqart.com
http://marksatchwill.blogspot.com/
Mark Satchwill Art on Facebook

EBSQ Facebook Artist of the Week: Christine Krainock

Who and where are you?

My name is Christine Krainock and I am a contemporary artist residing in beautiful Southern California. I paint contemporary, modern, oil and acrylic paintings in my unique style by palette knife. I create paintings in a textured, impasto style, which are described as possessing texture, depth, movement, and vibrancy of color. I am fortunate to live just outside of San Diego in the gorgeous, wine country city of Temecula, CA. I hold a Master’s of Arts Degree, and in fact, taught for many years before “quitting my day job” in order to pursue my passion for painting. Although I still adore teaching a few hours a week, I am a full-time artist painting daily. I am currently kept very busy selling my paintings to collectors from all over the world. I sell locally from my studio in California; however, a great portion of my work is sold or commissioned through my online presence.

How were you introduced to Facebook?

I was first introduced to Facebook by my best friend, Dianne, in 2008. I was extremely hesitant at first to join, in fact, I argued with her for months stating all sorts of reasons why I did not want to sign up. She finally convinced me to open my personal account in Dec. 2008, with the argument that, if for nothing else, Facebook would be a great way for us to share photos with each other since we lived so far apart. I quickly got “sucked in” to Facebook, and had fun connecting with current family and friends, as well as finding it was a great way to reconnect and develop new friendships with old high school classmates. In 2010-2011, I very reluctantly threw a very few photos of my artwork onto my FB profile, however, I was always very hesitant to do that because I didn’t want to come across to my Facebook friends as being obnoxious with my paintings. So, in the spring of 2011, I decided to start my Facebook page for my artwork. http://www.facebook.com/Contemporaryartbychristine. I was shocked at how quickly my page “likes” started adding up! I truly love my Facebook page, and often find myself utilizing it more than my personal account. It has been a fabulous tool for me to quickly and easily communicate with those who enjoy following my art and what I’m up to.

Any tips for other artists starting a Facebook Page?

There are several tips I can give to other artists who may be wanting to start a Facebook page. First of all, the goal of maintaining a Facebook page for art or any other business is to increase your sales. To do that, you need your page to be seen and followed. On Facebook that means receiving “likes”. One question that I often receive is, “How did you gain so many “likes” your page?” Well, what I do is I add links to my Facebook page to the majority of my emails, business cards, post cards, and most importantly the internet sites that I am present on. This includes my primary website, http://www.contemporaryartbychristine.com/, my Etsy Shop, Fine Art America (where I sell prints), EBSQ, and any other online artist site or news release mentioning my art. I find that if collectors are online, see and like your art, but aren’t necessarily ready to purchase, offering them a link to your Facebook page is a way for them to know that they have a connection to you for the future, and that they can follow your latest works, and can contact you when needed. Many assume that I must recruit people whom I personally know to “like” my page. This in fact, is the opposite of what I do! Out of my over 1800 “likes”, only 39 are mutual friends of mine from my personal Facebook account. Pretty low! Most Facebook users are aware of a feature on Facebook that is available for you to promote your page, it allows you to ask your personal Facebook friends to “like” your page. They will then receive a notification inviting them to your page. This can be a great way to obtain your first few “likes”, however, I DO NOT want to annoy all of my personal family and friends with the requests of liking my page when perhaps they don’t even care for my art. Therefore, I have only once sent that request out, and to only a very select few of my closest family and friends. Many of my very closest friends haven’t even “liked” my page, and that’s fine. (Although, I must say, my feelings ARE a little hurt. 😉 Ha!) I also do not participate in what many artists will try to gain followers, the old “Hi, I “liked” your page, will you “like” mine?” My belief is, you truly only want people “liking” your page who are honestly interested in following you, and someday perhaps in purchasing your art. That should be your goal; – gaining future clients and future sales. Your goal should not be to get as many “likes” as possible from people who are just being nice, and are following your page because you asked them to. These people are not the ones who are going to gain you more followers by commenting on, and sharing your work and posts. In fact, you will likely become hidden from their newsfeeds in the future. So my advice is do not waste your time begging for “likes”.

I would also advise artists to post often, but not too often. There is a fine line between keeping your followers interested, commenting and sharing, and annoying them by spamming their newsfeed 5 times a day. Over posting is sure to get you hidden from their feeds. I vary on how often I post. At times I post as much as 2-3 times a week, but other times only once every 2 weeks. It really depends on what you have going on that is meaningful to your followers, and what you have to post about.

As far as what to post- if you are an artist, post about your art! Keep strictly to posts about your art, your newest pieces, news and events, and your creative process. The majority of my posts are photos of my paintings. I will add a pleasant comment about something to do with the piece, my life, or even a quote. This helps to personalize the post to me, the artist, while still keeping my posts professional. I do not believe Facebook pages related to any business should be filled with posts containing too much of the owners personal life, political or religious views. This can become a turn-off for future clients, and will limit your audience. Have fun with your posts, be positive, and let your personality come through. Provide information on your newest art, events, etc. in a professional manner to your followers without becoming annoying.

What’s your favorite Facebook Page feature?

My favorite feature on Facebook Pages is a pretty basic one – Photos! If you are a visual artist, what better way to reach thousands of eyes than to post pictures of your work? Many of these images that you post may also be picked up in Google image searches, so add photos! I post photos of paintings a few times a month and make sure I also add a link within the post to where they can view close ups of the painting and can purchase that piece online. Photos are so important in selling any product online, and what do your eyes gravitate to as you scan your own Facebook newsfeed? Photos! Most people are very visual and just describing your newest piece won’t gain nearly as much attention as showing it. People who have liked your page are also much more likely to “share” a photo than just a text or link post.

Another favorite feature on my Facebook Page includes the apps that you can have displayed on the top of your timeline. I am able to have a link to “My Shop” which, when clicked, gives customers a Facebook version of the listings that I currently have available for sale in my Etsy shop. I also have the same type of app link which directs visitors to my gallery on Fine Art America where I release a few pieces as prints and giclees.

I truly find so many positives in maintaining my artist Facebook page, and recommend having one to any artist or small business owner. Visitors can view information about you such as where you reside, your website links, they can view albums of previous works and sold art, and most importantly they can correspond with you in a fun, casual manner. The comments and messages that I receive from followers of my page are hands-down the best part! I am a very humble gal, always believing I can do better, and the when I am feeling a bit down- reading the overly kind comments on my Facebook page can really pick me up and even be inspiring!

What’s coming next from your studio?

I am currently beginning a new series of landscapes; abstract tree paintings with earthy color palettes. I am combining a bit of brush work with my typical palette knife created, impasto style. I am also working on completing some larger pieces to be exhibited this fall and December locally.

http://artbychristine.ebsqart.com

www.facebook.com/Contemporaryartbychristine

EBSQ Facebook Artist of the Week: Torrie Smiley

Who and where are you?

Hello, my name is Torrie Smiley. I am a “trying to be daily painter” from West Texas now living and painting in Charlotte, North Carolina. I am blessed to have a wonderful life full of adventure–not really, I am a mom to four, grandma to one, and leader of the pack to three dogs.

How were you introduced to Facebook?

I was introduced to Facebook by teenage daughters back when you had to be in college to have an account. In 2008, a young girl in the local coffee shop who admired my paintings, created a “Facebook Fan Page” featuring my paintings and my Etsy store. My younger daughter began getting questions regarding my paintings and how to purchase them on her Facebook page. She gave me one of the “mom your ruining my life” speeches and told me I had to start my own Facebook page to handle my own painting business……I am surprised she didn’t just ask for a cut of my Facebook income~ Well, as they say, the rest is history. I have been on facebook since 2008. It was fun in the beginning listening to the kid’s friends say “I can’t believe your mom is on Facebook”.

Any tips for other artists starting a Facebook Page?

The biggest tip for the Facebook page is make sure it is searchable by your name and your collectors can find you. If you are on Facebook, you know they are constantly making changes and updates. The “Fan Page” has gone, replaced by “business/professional pages”. In 2010, I started my Facebook page under the title “Original Works of Art”. I forged ahead as with all my online adventures ~ trial and error, realizing later my page was not searchable by my name, Torrie Smiley, only by Original Works of Art. I found this to be a problem for new customers to locate my page. I started the new page this year under my name Torrie Smiley, Artist. Not wanting to delete my Original Works of Art page and lose my page regulars, I maintain the two pages making it available to new and returning customers. Tips from lessons learned is to make sure you are searchable by your name. If your name is taken add “artist”, “designer”, whatever you do to your name in order to keep your page searchable to your name. If you stores have a different name, use what is most familiar to your customer. Also post, post, post!! I try not to neglect regular posting, but sometimes I do, and I definitely notice a drop in sales and commissions.

What’s your favorite Facebook Page feature?

There are so many to choose from~ My Etsy store and Fine Art America stores are linked to my Facebook page. New posts on those websites update themselves to my page. I post new paintings to Facebook first and then add to my stores giving regular customers and friends a sneak peek before the paintings go into the online stores. The share feature allows people to share my work and stores with their friends and on their page adding to my customer base. Link everything using the links feature-DailyPaintworks, Etsy store, eBay, Twitter, Website, and blog. I post the same painting in all the different locations to purchase the painting–eBay, Etsy, Daily Paintworks. Collectors have their favorite websites and can purchase where they feel most comfortable.

What’s coming next from your studio?

I am always working on commissions along with the work put in my store. I will be painting several cupcake paintings, the larger ones will be placed at Cupcrazed, a local cupcake shop in Fort Mill, SC (Cupcake Wars Winner!). I will also continue to paint pears, martinis, and still life. I continue to be fascinated with landscape painting and hope to be completing more soon.

I love participating in the challenges at DailyPaintworks.com. I plan on participating in the EBSQart.com Nibblefest by the end of the year. I just have to get past the next wedding in September and I will have more time to have fun in the studio. It seems everyday there is a new idea I need to get on canvas before it vanishes from my brain…..I need more time!

http://torriesmiley.ebsqart.com/

Facebook: Original Works of Art

Facebook: Torrie Smiley Artist