Call For Art For Valles Caldera 10K, Half and Full Marathon 2013

The complete prospectus for this call for art is here:



 

Photographing Your Pottery or 3D Art

There is a science to photographing your art correctly. What works for photographing 2D art does not work as well for 3D art. Often, when submitting images for juried shows, allowances for 3D art is made by way of accepting at least 2-3 views of the work. Many artists shortchange themselves of even being considered because, well, there is no other polite way to say it, they take lousy photos of their art because they dont' want (or can't) to spend the money on hiring it out. However, you need not 'suffer' with bad images of your work with so many helpful people out there publishing lots of DIY articles on how to achieve this goal.

The folks at Handmadeology (the science of Handmade) publishes lots of great articles to help you out with. Such as, how to photograph your ceramic pottery!

"TAKING PICTURES OF YOUR CERAMIC POTTERY (an article excerpt from Handmadeology)

Here are suggestions to help take great pictures of your pottery. Step by step lighting set up that defines three dimensional form and shows true vibrant colors.

Move a table close to a window. To make the light coming in from the outside easier to work with it’s a good idea to tape a piece of tracing paper to the window. For more information on how to do this please read this."

You can read the rest of the article here.

I, for one, am looking forward to see what some of you do with this wonderful DIY article. Please let us know and leave us a comment here.

Image Sources Just For You!

Since one of the mediums I work in a lot happens to be photography, I never have a shortage of image files to work with in my art studio. However, a lot of artists who paint do not dabble in photography and struggle with finding images that are 'kosher' to use without infringing on copyright. Well, yes, then there are some who never concern themselves about that at all and as a photographer, I find that disregard to be along the lines of piracy!

But, there is a way to get  your hands on images and use them legally. The nice folks at ArtSpark explains how:

"In a world where text is everywhere, visual representation of ideas, process and data is more important than ever to capture (and hold!) the attention of your intended audience.

Two of ArtSpark’s favorite treasure troves for visual images, including photographs, illustrations and icons, are FREE (although attribution is required for one and suggested for the other).

1) Flickr.com images with a Creative Common license.

You can access Flickr.com Creative Commons images easily by doing an “advanced search” and scrolling down to the Creative Commons area.  The attribution license “lets others distribute, remix, tweak, and build upon your work, even commercially, as long as they credit you for the original creation. This is the most accommodating of licenses offered. Recommended for maximum dissemination and use of licensed materials.”  I have found great images and illustrations (also drawings) on Flickr.com this way, and even developed a couple of relationships with fellow creatives.  (NOTE:  you can search and access/download content without having a Flickr.com account.)"

You can read the rest of the article here.

Professional Development for Artists Made Easy

Most artists are pretty good about seeking out classes and workshops in order to fine tune their technique and ability with their medium(s). However, when it comes to professional development  it is more often avoided rather than sought out. In fact, sometimes, I think people view it like the plague! Yes, if you are an artist with a desire to sell your work, that automatically makes you a small business owner, like it or not. So, why wouldn't you seek out ways to hone your business skills so that you can sell more of your art, thus giving you even greater excuses to create more?

If the chief reason why you don't seek out professional development is due to accessibility and cost, then I think I'm about to give a dead end to that 'excuse'!

Enter the Creative Capital Professional Development Programs (PDP)!

Here's the 'low down' from their site:

Artists can now access selected workshop content at home, in the studio or wherever there is a computer with internet access.

When? 7-9:30pm EST. Most webinars are offered on Mondays.
We offer at least two live webinars each month, so there are new opportunities to enhance your career year-round.

Where? Anywhere!
All you need is a computer with sound and an Internet connection.

Who? Everyone!
Designed for artists of all disciplines and at all career stages. If you're new to professional development or just interested in a refresher course, there is something for everyone.

How Much? Only $25!

FIND OUT MORE HERE.

So, now what's your excuse?    : )

What would make it even more fun is for several to get together at one person's house and tune in on a webinar topic. After the session is over, share with each other what you got out of it. I think you will be amazed at what can unfold from there.