CherylAnnHillsArtist

What I’ve learned over the past 18 months, and a few things I already knew… Hard work, determination and never giving up : Three things I preached to my daughters and had to accept and hold to over the years especially the last decade. 5 years ago I was in the hospital for 16 days because I once again failed to take care of myself, my mind, my soul, my needs, my life’s path. I put myself last, as is my pattern that I learned early in childhood and have carried through. My brain works different than many and I can struggle with situations that are very clear to others. I know how I “need to think and react” yet decades of feeling and reacting the “wrong way” have created a deep groove that is difficult to navigate through and above. Not one to believe in limitations or disabilities I’ve found my own way to manage my feelings and while it may not be the “right way” it works for me if I let it. I have been told many times there are no coincidences . Each experience I’ve had over...

Since deciding to take this particular path and dedicate most of my energy to my art I have discovered and experienced a lot of varying opinions and ideas about art, artists and the “art world”. Some of these ideas I feel are outdated and old world while some are truly forward thinking and applicable to current societal applications. Let’s look at some outdated ideas first.   You can NEVER earn a livable income as an artist creating art. I was told this from the very beginning by very well meaning family members. Of course, I was a child and believed it so I chose to pursue graphic design as a career because there were more opportunities to earn a reliable income. While there are many graphic design opportunities these days it was not the case when I first started in the industry. Even so, there is never a guarantee in ANY industry that there will be a job opening available at all times. Many college and university graduates can attest to this.   Art is for th...

Ok so first, I apologise for the week delay on this last part. I’ve been prepping for my upcoming solo art exhibit in Hamilton . Tomorrow I will be at the gallery installing the exhibit. I will cover this adventure in a future post. Stay tuned! Now on to Craft Show tips . Marketing tools; brochures, bus cards, booth display Your decision to include or not various marketing tools before, during and after the show depends greatly on your overall vision of your craft making activities. If you are a hobbyist who has simply run out of room at home for all your wonderful crafty creations and your friends and family are finding it hard to be surprised with your gifting; then maybe it’s time to sell some of your inventory. As a hobbyist your risk is minimal because your crafty activities are not your main source of income. Printing off a few basic business cards on your own ink jet printer at home is the most you probably need. You can also make a basic sign to insert into a d...

So last week we covered how to find vendor calls, fees, advertising and general expectations. Today we will look at additional budget purchases and vendor culture at art & craft shows. Purchasing your show materials As a newbie, I bought only very basic display materials for my first few shows. I also recommend this to you. While it may be tempting to go out and get the state-of-the-art display gizmo for your wares so you look and feel like you know what you are doing; don’t do it. Start small. You have a shorter distance to fall if you fall (I said fall, not fail) AND you won’t break the bank and wallow in regret. Since I make and sell original oil paintings, I went to my trusty dollar store and picked up about 10 of the mini wooden easels they have in the craft aisle. My first show was a fall show. So I also picked up a few fall themed decorations to adorn the table so it would be all cutesy and attractive to buyers. In total I spent about $40. I already had ta...

As I got half way into writing this piece it was clear to me there was way more information to share than could be crammed into one blog post. So I have divided it into 3 parts. This week is part one. So last year was my first opportunity to “sell my wares” at an arts and crafts show. I started looking at possible choices in the mid-summer and discovered there are a lot of shows available to vendors. I was a complete noob and as such I reached out to someone I knew who was already doing shows and had achieved some modest success. They told me about possible shows I might start with and some basic expectations. They too had only started last year but already had a few shows under their belt. I should mention that while I am /was completely new to being a vendor at these markets, I am not new to selling and marketing. Working as a graphic designer for more than 15 years I have learned a few things that have been useful to me in marketing my fine art business. Finding Vendor Cal...

As an artist who almost exclusively paints with oil paint, I get this question a lot. Is oil paint toxic? The simple answer is no, oil paint is not toxic. The paint itself is made of a pigment which is ground into an oil base. The oil base can be made with linseed (most common), walnut (my preference), poppy, safflower and other less common sources. The pigments were originally from natural sources such as; mineral salts, semi-precious stones, cadmium sulfide, crushed cochineal beetles, various natural clays,  buckthorn berries, bones and charcoal to name a few. Some modern day paints still use these sources while others have adopted synthetic sources to achieve similar pigments. While some of these pigments do contain toxic properties, when handled correctly in the studio they do not pose a risk to the artist. (ie: do not eat) The solvents used in oil painting can be toxic, however again when handled correctly this is not an issue. A solvent can be used to clean the brushe...

Recently my day job was taken from me, suddenly, unjustly and without warning. Anyone who is in my close circle already knows this. My first reaction was of course, a sense of loss. There was a period of mourning, anger, then acceptance. Then I experienced great relief, excitement and a realization that this was not an ending but rather a beginning. I also had to adjust to an income that was far less than I was accustomed to earning. I had always considered myself somewhat frugal, but now it became important to refine and embrace my frugal ways. There are always areas in our finances that are fluid; flexible enough to meet basic needs when required. I've cancelled my cable TV. No great loss, as I really only watched a handful of the same stations and programs most of which I can get for free using an antennae I already owned. My food budget was generous because, well, I enjoy eating like most people and I felt it was one thing I could justify spending money on. Now I spend far ...