Alease Michelle - A Mixed Media Artist

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

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.

Live a Happy & Creative Life - Isaac Mizrahi on TED ideas worth spreading

Click on the link below if video is not showing.

Isaac Mizrahi on Fashion and Creativity.

"Live a Happy and Creative

Life"

 

Do You Prefer Art Framed or on Canvas?

Do you prefer art created on paper and then framed?

Or

Art on museum quality canvas?

Hello Everyone, I am currently in a major fix. I am starting a new series of mixed media collages and I am torn between creating collages on paper and then framing them later or creating the collages on canvas.

Please help - I need your advice.

Peace and More Love- Alease

Encourage Someone Today

Encouraging someone to live out their dreams is a simple thing to do, God said Abram, "… I will bless you … and you will be a blessing to others.'" (Genesis 12:1-2, NLT)

All of us have worked toward a dream and have felt worn out by the massive climb to the top. At this time we need encouragement, just a small voice to remind us of what it will be like to get to the finish line. From Joel Osteen's Today's Word- "God created us to need each other. You may be facing challenges that you can't overcome on your own - having a friend to walk with you in love can get you through those times."

Be a friend to another person today. Your love and kindness is what another person may need today- that extra lift to the top. Creating good will to others can only make you feel better about yourself. I know and I hope all the rest of you know when you feel better about yourself - people will respond better to you. Encouraging another - Takes you to the next level.

Peace and More Love, Alease

 

Breast Cancer Awarness - Get UR Check Up!

This week I went for my second mammogram visit this year. A few months ago they saw something strange. I should have taken care of this earlier, but others things got in the way and plus I really did not want to go. But a very close friend of mine gave me this postcard.  This card made me get off my butt to schedule an appointment.  

This is the back of the postcard. She filled in the blanks with a personal message. It really worked.

 So, I went to for my second visit. And luckily everything if just fine. It just feels good to know that I am ok and that I have a friend who really cares that I live.

Get Your Check Up! It is more important than a scheduled meeting or making that next big dollar.

Peace and More Love, Alease

Artist Tip - 10 Ways to Use Blogging To Promote Your Business

Hello Guys wanted to share with you: 10 Ways to Use Blogging To Promote Your Business.

1. Define Your Goals for Your Blogging

Whether you are a new artist or a seasoned artist, before starting a blog- you have to start by assessing your business goals and how you're going to achieve them. For example: My Goal- More exposure as an artist, educator and life long learner. How: Post more often - offer tips/advice - Educator; Showcase new work/ gallery updates- Artist; What inspires me/What I'm learning- Life Long Learner.

2. Research Keywords

Before you really start a blog you should research keywords that will generate traffic to your site. Google Adwords is a great source. Use these keywords in your post, title and tags. A few of my keywords: mix media artist, art tutorials, artist journals.

3. Use Free Blogging Tools

 There are many free blogging sites, some are better than others.  Before I made a discussion about a blog hosting site- I actually researched blogging platforms used by other artist. During my search I realized that many of the artist used Typepad. So, I joined Typepad's basic level, but soon upgraded to the Plus level and hopefully I will move up to the Pro level one day. Typepad offers a 14 Day Free Trail.

4. Educate the Consumer

Share your story with your readers. Tell them how you became an artist, your educational background, people who have inspired you or even your favorite artist tools. Most of this information is located in my About me page.

5. Your Return on Investment (ROI)

Please allow 3 to 6 months to actually see traffic to your site. Make sure to submit your blogto search engines so others can find you.

6. Research Other Blogs

Look at want is working on other artists' blogs. Do you notice any thing that's missing from their blog? Can you post something on what's missing? What are their readers saying? Use your research to make your blog post richer and educational. My favorite blogs are Ali Edwards and Claudine Hellmuth.

7. Join a Art Forum

Not sure of any- Do a simple search for artist forums in your niche. Join a few of them and make sure to comment and share ideas. And to get others to visit your blog - add your blog's url to end of your signature. I belong to a yahoo group - Artist Techniques.

8. Keep It Simple

Write about what you know and love. Problogger offers Blog Post Ideas- Use these ideas to jump start your blog posts.

9. Blogging Regularly, Branch Out to Social Media Sites

Create a Facebook, My Space or a Twitter page. Share links to recent post from your blog or even just add our your blog's url to your page. I have a Twitter. and Facebook Fan Pageand I send links to these site automatically.

10. Additional Resources for Blogging

If you need extra help with using blogging as a marketing platform for your art business- here are a few sources that may help.

• 9 Things to Do To Make Sure Your Next Blog Post is Read by More than Your Mom
• How Passion Can Transform Your Blog
• Give me 31 Days and I’ll Give You a Dramatically Better Blog… Guaranteed

Share your blogs with me. I would love to read them. Good Luck with Your Blog - Peace & More Love

illustration Friday: Pattern

Here is my submission to this week's illustration friday theme "pattern".

I created a quilt like pattern- using scrap paper. Spatter paint was added to convey texture and to blend the papers together

Art21: Art in the Twenty-First Century - DVD Review

I have really enjoyed watching these videos. They have severed as amesome inspriations and insight of what it takes to be an artist.

"Art:21–Art in the Twenty-First Century” is the only series on television to focus exclusively on contemporary visual art and artists in the United States, and it uses the medium of television to provide an experience of the visual arts that goes far beyond a gallery visit. Fascinating and intimate footage allows the viewer to observe the artists at work, watch their process as they transform inspiration into art, and hear their thoughts as they grapple with the physical and visual challenges of achieving their artistic visions."

EYe Spy an Art Trend: Bold, Colorful & Bright - Francoise Nielly

EYe Spy -Bold, Colorful and Bright Art of Francoise Nielly.

 

As described in her bio:

Francoise Nielly is a passionate woman who loves life, wide open spaces, sushi, blue lagoons, the Internet, humor, books, Paris, New-york and Vancouver. Resolutely inscribed in her epoch, she is an accomplished artist ; 20 years of artistic expression explain the maturity of her work and the perfect mastery of her art. She lives and paints in Paris near Montmartre; shows and sells her work in Europe, in Canada and in the United States.

See for yourself- A detail video is posted on her website- a brilliant display of how to creates these wonderful, colorful, bold and bright art pieces.