Alease Michelle - A Mixed Media Artist

Building a Foundation for Your Artist Career

Hello, and welcome to a wonderful week of posts. This week I plan to post a series of  5 posts on Building a Foundation for Your Artist Career. The advice and suggestions I 'll present in the following posts can be adopted and used in any creative careers. 

I've used them alot in my emerging artist career. And many times I come back to my foundation to check for leaks and cracks. Building a foundation for a house is very important, and building a foundation for your artist career is the same. Making sure the foundation is strong is the key to living in your creative house for a long time.

The Building a Foundation for Your Artist Career will begin with:

1. How to choose your ideal clients so you can work only with people who inspire and energize you.
2. Learning the reasons why people buy art.
3. Creating a personal brand so you're memorable and unique
4. Learn how to talk about your artwork without sounding confused or plain.

 

Over the course of the week, I will take you through the process of building your foundation so that you'll have a platform on which to stand. This platform will become the support you'll need for your business development, marketing and personal growth.

To prepare yourself for this week's post, I ask that you come ready to work and to really think about what you exactly want  and need to do to become a successful artist. To ensure that you don't miss any post, make sure to subscribe by email to my blog. And if you think any of your friends or family might be interested, then please send them a link to my blog.

How to Make Your Own Canvas Panels

Hey guys , As you may have read, I have mentioned art panels before in a previous post. And most of you know about my love for canvas panels. If not, I use them alot when creating my collages. They make for a stong surface to add many emblishments, sanding down elements and to take about any amount of abuse.

 But anyway I wanted to share with you what I found on blogs.com. As I was searching though some of the top Craft and Hobbies blogs, I stumbled across this Video Art Lesson: How to Make Your Own Canvas Panels on Craft Leftovers (cute name).  It looks very easy to create and plus you are able to use leftover art supplies. 

The Visionary: Marissa Mayer, Glamour 2009 Woman of the Year

 

  She is a Woman of the Year because:

“She has been a powerhouse of creativity and business acumen for one of the world’s most innovative companies. Marissa Mayer is leading the way in keeping America number one.” —Nancy Pelosi, speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives and 2002 Woman of the YearMarissa Marissa leads the product management efforts on Google's search products – web search, images, groups, news, Froogle, the Google Toolbar, Google Desktop, Google Labs, and more. She joined Google in 1999 as Google's first female engineer and led the user interface and webserver teams at that time. Her efforts have included designing and developing Google's search interface, internationalizing the site to more than 100 languages, defining Google News, Gmail, and Orkut, and launching more than 100 features and products on Google.com.

It is good to know that a woman can be beautiful and smart! I was amazed to read about Marissa accomplishments with such a big and power company. Marissa states in the Glamourarticle "Get in a bit over your head. That’s how you grow and learn and stretch yourself.”

 I totally agree with her. More of us need to stretch beyond our reach- it is the only way to grow taller and stronger. Many of us may not be engineers but we are artist who have the engineering power to be great and maybe the next Artist of the Year of something. Grow, Grow and Grow Strong my Sisters and Brothers.

Read More about Glamour's 2009 Woman of the Year- Marissa Mayer - here

5 Online Art Challenges to Get the Creative Juices Flowing

Sometimes even the best artists get lose thier "Mo Joe". If you are coming up short with creative ideas,  then I suggest you participate in an online art challenge. Art Challenges are fun, inspiring and these challenges can help you become part of a community of artist sharing their work online. I have recommended 5 online art challenges that would help you get your creative juices flowing.

5 Online Art Challenges

Show and Tell Sundays-Every other week a new theme will be posted and all artist, of all mediums are invited to show us what they have! Then on Sundays, The Show and Tell Sundays crew (Cerri and Cindy) will  host a  blog party and post links to your blogs so everyone can enjoy your collections!

Mixed Media Monday- Create a mixed media piece, according to the current theme and upload it to your blog ,flickr account or online portfolio. Then add a link to the Mixed Media Monday site. Then post a comment on Mixed Media Monday with a direct link to your artwork. Next Challenge is "I am Woman" for November 16th.

Inspire Me Thursday- For all mixed media artist and creative types! It is an invitation to indulge in a weekly dose of inspiration.

Illustration Friday- Illustration Friday is a weekly illustration challenge. A topic is posted every Friday and then participants have all week to come up with their own interpretation. Topics are picked each week from a list of suggestion that have been emailed by participants. I have participated in this challenge a few times myself.

Wednesday Stamper- This challenge is for the rubber stamper. You are to post your project using at least one rubberstamp on your blog/journal/ picturetrail... and mention Wednesday Stamper with a link. Then leave a comment with the static link to your direct post.

 

EYe Spy a Structured Trend: Elsa Mora & Michael Kros

 
This week I've Eye Spied an Art and Fashion Trend that would be considered well planned, organized, and controlled; with a definite shape, form, or pattern.

 Michael Kros's Fall 2009 collection displays details that are comforting and strong. Elsa Mora creates paper cutouts that are strudy in appearance with exaggerated details. Michael Kros and Elsa Mora are artists that command attention.

Portraits of famous historical figures ... starring their modern-day descendents

Sometimes you just can't get away from looking like members of your family. But these portraits of famous historical figures and their modern day descendents  portraits are wonderful to see and compare the similarities.

Meet the ancestors: Charles II, Oliver Cromwell, Napoleon and Clive of India. Recreated in breathtaking details, portraits of four famous historical figures ... starring their modern-day descendents

CHARLES II

When he was 19 his father, Charles I, was executed after the Parliamentarians beat the Royalists in the Civil War.Charles was crowned King of Scotland in 1651, but after defeat in battle fled to the Continent for nine years.Charles (1630-1685) returned to the throne after Cromwell's death. Known as the Merry Monarch, he had many mistresses, but left no legitimate heir.

 

LIVING RELATIVE: Lord Charles FitzRoy

Nine times great-grandson of Charles II and long-time mistress Barbara Villiers, Lord Charles FitzRoy, a 50-year-old father-of-two, is a London-based fine art tour specialist.

He says: "People have the impression that Charles II was a fun-loving merry monarch with his mistresses, but in reality he had to be cunning and manipulative to survive."

Charles has recently written a book, Return Of The King; The Restoration Of Charles II, about his famous ancestor and adds: "He was an impressive man and one of the more intelligent of English kings."

In our photograph, Charles is wearing a curly poodle wig and his fine moustache has been created by a make-up artist. He's standing in front of a real drape but the rest of the background, and the suit of armour, have been digitally added. The sword and the staff are real.

"My royal connection doesn't alter who I am," he says, "but it does change some people's perceptions

Read more about these awesome look a-likes here.

5 Ways to Experiment with Alternative Approaches in Your Artwork

 
As an artist grows into a successful artist, the artist will also need to grow with the types of art supplies and materials he or she uses. I believe part of an artist's professional development deals with his/hers freedom to experiment with alternative approaches.  Consider it an art challenge or another creative inspiration.

5 Ways to Experiment with Alternative Approaches in Your Artwork

1.  Use Unorthodox Art Surfaces. Think about using metal, wood, plastic, clay-board, handmade paper, woven or synthetic fabrics as supporting material for your artwork.

2. Work with Unconventional Art Tools - Instead of a paint brush, paint your unorthodox surfaces with a comb, draw into the paint with a stick, spread paint with a putty knife, or create texture with serrated scrapes.

3. Imaginative Under Painting- Sometimes laying a sheet of color on a canvas isn't adventurous enough. An artist can create touchable backgrounds with natural elements such as plastic wrap, crumpled aluminum foil, string, and salt. Dab wet surfaces with paper towels,textured cloth, and sponges.

4. Low Relief Surfaces -Printing making is a fun and inexpensive art technique. An artist can create a print from a leaf, flower, or feather. Use man-made materials such as lace, decorative tile, corrugated cardboard, or textural wall paper. Custom stamps can be made from stenciling, rub on lettering, and solvent based transfers.

5. Collage - Collaging creates a dynamic sense of order in any artwork. Use new or old newspaper, sewing patterns, maps, diagrams, wallpaper, journal pages, postcards. Create texture with wrinkling paper, distressing paper by standing or burning the edges. Use stitching, weaving, embossing, tea/coffeestaining and dyeing to enhance the overall appearance of the paper.

Experiment with a few of these alternative approaches and watch yourself grow. To get more valuable artist tips subscribe. Peace and More Love, Alease Michelle

Inspirational Quote from Jackson Pollock

"When I am in a painting, I'm not aware of what I'm doing. It is only after a sort of 'get acquainted' period that I see what I have been about. I have no fears about making changes, destroying the image, etc, because the painting has a life of its own. I try to let it come through. It is only when I lose contact with the painting that the result is a mess. Otherwise there is pure harmony, an easy give and take, and the painting comes out well."  Jackson Pollock, Abstract Expressionist

Jackson Pollock could have not said it any better. Connection with your artwork is essential to your joy and success as an artist. Let whatever flow from your heart and mind. Allow your choice of art medium to speak for you. Read more on connecting with your artwork in Make a Personal and Emotional Connection with Artwork.

Peace and More Love, Alease

People's Reactions to You Being an Artist

Below is a pie chart of "People's Reaction to Me Being An Art Student". Even if you didn't major in art , I still believe all artist in some form has received these same reactions from non-artists.

see more Funny Graphs

I just have to say- believe in the reactions of those in blue. It is a small part of the pie chart, but it is the most positive response and those are the people who are true believers of living your dreams and doing what makes you happy!

GO OUT AND LIVE A CREATIVE & FABULOUS LIFE, I AM!

Art Lesson: Rubber Cement Resist from Ink Stains

 

Great use of a few cheap art supplies that you might have forgotten about. This rubber cement resist art lesson taught by Ink Stains is quick and easy to create. It is a fun way to add texture to a blank canvas. Great visuals on this blog also.

 
To learn more about this cheap and contemporary art technique go to Ink Stains: Rubber Cement Resist Technique .