This is the official Blog for the EBSQ Self-Representing Artists Community, where you'll find news, reviews, site announcements, and of course, a generous helping of art!
1. Art Seen:Lunga pausa di silenzio (Long Silence) is a beautiful, dream-like watercolor by Alessandro Andreuccetti. The contrasting colors pulled me in!
2. Artist Guide: PACT published an excellent article this week by Armand Carbrera on copyright – Protecting Copyright.
4. Exhibits: It won’t be long till the calendar turns over and we are November. Now is the time to start plannings for the November Exhibits at EBSQ. Coming up we have Airships (Zeppelins to Steampunk) and Naked Trees.
1. Pumpkin Everything by Torrie Smiley is a reminder that October is on the horizon, which means we’ll be seeing more pumpkins and delightful spooky creations!
1. Vibrant colors and wet petals after a rain is what comes to mind when I look at Ulrike Martin’s latest watercolor painting, Abstract Flowers. It’s a beautiful time of year here in the Northern Hemisphere.
3. I Hate Marketing – Sound familiar? I’m sure I may have used that phrase once or twice. Jon Schindehette talks marketing, some simple tricks and lessons learned.
4. We are half-way through May now, have you entered one of our online exhibits? This month EBSQ is hosting Under the Sea and Flower of the Month: Columbines. The Member’s Choice winner receives prize money too!
1. I woke to thunder and heavy rain this morning, Abril Andrade Griffith’s Rainy Day was particularly appropriate as well as being a darling painting.
2. 10 Things… Finding Your Voice – Artists like writers have a voice too, their own unique style. Finding that voice is one key to success and fulfillment in your art.
3. PACT went live yesterday. What is PACT? Professional Artist Client Toolkit – From their website: PACT is a tool to help freelance Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Comic Book and other illustrators negotiate a better living for themselves. I’ve joined, but even if you can’t, there are some great freebies to be had, including sample contracts you can download and articles from leading artists and art directors.
2. 10 Things…Evaluate your Painting – Is what your painting fitting with the vision in your mind? Does it work? Greg Manchess shares some questions to ask yourself about your painting.
3. Don’t forget to vote for your favorite in the January EBSQ Exhibits. While you’re there, take a look at the new February exhibits too.
Voting ends tomorrow for our May Exhibits. Have you voted? This months exhibits, Flower of the Month: Irises and Still Life, are filled with amazing art by EBSQ artists. Even if you’re not a member of EBSQ you vote can count by click on the Facebook Like buttons for each entry. Which ever piece has the most, for each exhibit, is receives a Cloud award.
Voting is underway in our August online exhibits: Cats & Dogs, FOTM: Prairie Plants, and Plein Air: Water. Members of EBSQ have until tomorrow, 9/8, to vote for their favorite artwork in each show. Go show your support for our artists!
Entries are now open for September’s exhibits:
The deadline for entering a September exhibit is 9/30/2012. I’ll be entering the Autumn exhibit. Which exhibit is on your radar?
Today is the last day to enter the July Online Exhibits. We have three diverse shows: African Wildlife, Victory Garden, and Pointillism. Entry to these shows is open until this evening at 11:59 p.m. EST. Are you working on a last minute entry?
What’s coming next?
Entries are already being accepted for the August Shows. Here’s a sneak peak at what’s to come next month:
Log into your EBSQ portfolio and enter a show today!
Since it’s my small son’s birthday today, I will indulge in sharing my entry from last month’s Wildflower exhibit. Thank you for awarding it an honorable mention in the Cloud Votes!
The 12 in ’12 Challenge, started back in January, has been a hot topic of conversation lately on the EBSQ Member Forums. So I thought now might be a good time for an official (ish) pulse check. Where are you in your progress. Did you enter the shows you hoped you would back in January? Are you still going strong, or losing steam?
I also took the challenge. So far, I’ve entered entered 6 shows with 9-total entries. Some of it has been new work executed for the show, but I admit I pulled a couple from my archives, too. I was hoping to enter more than just photography and actually get some painting and drawing done, but my Muse has been off holiday, apparently. Maybe I can lure her home with this month’s Pointillism exhibit…
Ready to jump into the fray or get back on track? Here’s what’s left in 2012:
August:
Cats & Dogs
FOTM: Prairie Plants
Plein Air: Water
September:
Wild Birds
FOTM: Berries & Fruit
Autumn
October:
Owls
FOTM: Carnivorous Plants
Think Pink (to Benefit Breast Cancer Research)
December:
Holiday Pets
FOTM: Botanical Wreaths
Zombie Apocalypse (ends 21 December 2012, with no voting since the world will have ended, obviously)
11th Annual Better Late Than Never Show
So–16 more exhibition opportunities. Are you in? Are you IN?
Have you entered one of our July online exhibits? This month we are hosting three exhibits: African Wildlife, Flower of the Month: Victory Garden, and Pointillism. Create something new or enter an artwork that’s been waiting for the perfect show.
Quite simply: we’d ideally like to see depictions of animals typically associated with the African safari. But ALL indigenous African species are welcome.
During World Wars I & II, the rallying cry was Dig for Victory. People were asked to dig up their flowers and focus on food production. Now in the less-than-desirable economy of the early 21st Century, Grow Your Own has become the new rallying cry, but the focus is the same: flowers giving way to vegetable, herbs, and fruit. Here at EBSQ, we’re of the opinion that vegetable gardens can be just as beautiful as flower gardens. Whether planted square-foot style, a la French potager, or even vertical and in containers, fruit and veg are finding their way into the urban and suburban landscape again. This month, we’re celebrating the beauty and bounty of the productive garden. Here’s to a happy harvest!
The subject is completely open, but the required technique this month is tightly defined. All entries must be manually rendered in individual small dots of pure colour to create a pattern.
Voting is now open for all three EBSQ January exhibits. Have you voted yet? It’s easy peasy lemon squeezy:
If you’re logged in, simply browse to one of January’s art shows, click the thumbnail to view the details for that piece, then click the large “vote” button.
Don’t have an account? You can still participate in the social vote, known on our site as the Cloud Awards. Simply use the Facebook “like” button for your favourite pieces. And unlike the member voting button, where a new vote overrides a previous vote in a given exhibit, you can actually vote for as many pieces as you like in our cloud awards.
The following EBSQ Art Exhibits will only be accepting entries through the end of Tuesday, Eastern Standard Time:
Show us animals that occur naturally with black & white markings: pandas, skunks, cows, tuxedo cats, zebras…you get the idea. As long as it exists in nature, it’s fair game. [read more]
To quote They Might Be Giants:
“Most with cones for seeds, most with needles for leaves. C is for Conifers, my kind of tree” [read more]
In 2012, we’ll be tackling all four seasons. First up is Winter. All entries must pertain to this season in an obvious way. [read more]
To enter any of the above shows, you must be a member of EBSQ. Not yet a member? Consider joining today!
The following EBSQ Art Exhibits are open and accepting entries through the end of this month:
Show us animals that occur naturally with black & white markings: pandas, skunks, cows, tuxedo cats, zebras…you get the idea. As long as it exists in nature, it’s fair game. [read more]
To quote They Might Be Giants:
“Most with cones for seeds, most with needles for leaves. C is for Conifers, my kind of tree” [read more]
In 2012, we’ll be tackling all four seasons. First up is Winter. All entries must pertain to this season in an obvious way. [read more]
To enter any of the above shows, you must be a member of EBSQ. Not yet a member? Consider joining today!
One of the biggest benefits of EBSQ Membership (at least according to our members) is our monthly exhibits. They’re great for extra exposure, stretching your creative muscles, and on many occasions, winning stuff (which is always nice!) This year, we have 37 opportunities to compete with your art. Because January is a month of resolutions, we’re challenging you to commit to participating in 12 exhibits in 2012.
To be part of our 12 in ’12, we ask that you sign your name in the comments below and let us know which 12 shows you want to commit to in 2012. (I’ll be doing the same, because frankly, I need to get off my butt and make more art. )
Art & News from EBSQ 