Title: Estuary Art Attack – Love is on the Water
Location: BridgeHead Studios, 2516 Blanding Ave, Alameda, Ca
Link out: Click here
Description: Estuary Art Attack is an open studio, occurring monthly every 2nd Friday night, of over 19 galleries surrounding the Alameda and Oakland estuary.

There will be 3 artists and photographers exhibiting there amazingness, along with 6-7 vendors giving Estuary Art Attackers the perfect varied selections, just in time for Valentine’s Day gift purchases!

Open Drinks and Food Bar, and beats by Dirti Hari will be a part of this part-swank, part-love atmosphere.

When: Friday, Feb 12, 2010
5pm-11pm

Where: BridgeHead Studios
2516 Blanding Ave, Alameda, Ca
Start Time: 17:00
Date: 2010-02-12
End Time: 23:00

Morning Breath :: 12x12" pastel pencil on paper. Copyright 2010 Pia Walker

To purchase the original, print, or as a beautiful greeting card, visit  the gallery!

This new piece of art is a perfect emblem of a January morning (with a December sky). I am not, by nature, an early riser. However, I can, when needed, get up at the crack of dawn, without a frown or complain. Once I’m up and going and out the door, I love being surrounded by that morning calmness that starts each day. The soft haziness of the sun slowly awakens my eyes to the quietness and stillness of my surroundings and I find myself smiling. The few open coffee shops have perhaps 1 person in them, there are no other cars on the road to avoid or worry about, there is actual quiet. It is as if the world is all mine, as if I am the only seeing it awaken.

This pastel drawing was made in that spirit, in the awaiting of a new day, with all its possibilities. This is a morning without Internet or BlackBerry, just a simple quiet start. Being surrounded by the mountains of Northern California and driving mostly on back country roads, these landscapes are quite common in my every day. I am always amazed at how sharp the contrast is, between this quiet natural world and Silicon Valley just 30 minutes away. In those California freeways, the buzz never stops, and even in the early morning hours, as I try to crank my next to see the sun come up over the Bay Area, I am passed (whizzed by) those rushing to a job that must be extremely important (although I doubt that it is as important as that!).

Those quiet mornings wipe away the darkness of the night, the reminder of the stars that another day has passed. Breathing in the stillness, I forget, for minutes, what I did not accomplish the day before. I let my past wash away and look only towards today and tomorrow. I am gladdened by that daily cleansing

Pia

While it continues to rain, it is a perfect time to catch up on some Attaining Creativity news:

• Newsletter update.
  Newsletter subscribers will be seeing some new products (including free downloads) in the upcoming weeks. I love being able to connect with fellow customers through this medium, letting them know about new drawings and product ideas. These downloads will be great ways to give something back to these great supporters. You can check out old newsletter archives or sign up to see what’s happening “in the studio.”
• Creative arts for children classes.
  The Creative Art for Children class began because I like to do art experiments. As an artist, this is a good thing: it leads to new concepts, new techniques, new images. As a child, however, experimenting in art leads to really fun, creative things: coloring with figs or pomegranates, mixing tacky glue with balsamic vinegar, and adding sand or dirt to acrylic paint.
  In the classroom, I try to emphasize how we all see the world differently. Our optical lens translates images uniquely for each of us, and our soul and language decipher that image in a vibrantly, singular way. Art becomes useful when music or speech or writing isn’t sufficient or doesn’t provide the appropriate vocabulary. I love sitting back and seeing children proceed in finding their own expressive views, with no artistic boundaries. Whether a student wants to create an abstract piece made up of fluorescent pink paint and blue/silver yarn, or a crafty piece with flowers, glitter, and a decorative border, or draw a realistic hillside filled with California poppies, it is all “correct” in my class.
  The first sessions of my Creative Art for Children and Creative Art Thru the 5 Senses start this week!
• Creative projects for children.
  As an offshoot of my Creative art classes, I’ve come up with loads of simple art projects for kids. These projects primarily use recycled products as well as found objects from around the house or backyard. Once a week, I’ll post one of these art projects up on the web. If you are interested in more ideas beyond the blog, visit my daily creations webpage for more products.

In creating children’s art projects for my Creative Art for Children class, my main focus is on using found objects (preferably natural or recycled and easily found around the house). Although in the class, kids are presented with different materials each week and are then allowed to use them to their creativity’s delight (with no artistic limitations), I also came up with some easy art projects for kids that follow the same concept. Starting this week, I’ll be posting some of those projects for your use and fun. Enjoy!

This week’s art activity – creating colorful birds – is a recycled art project.

A "Green" Bird

Materials: a single newspaper page (or used gift wrapping paper), 30 yards of recycled ribbons (or yarn), a dozen leaves (or newspaper), 2 thin branches (from either a plant or tree), 1 unopened flower bud, scissors, toilet paper roll, glue (optional)

I used camellia leaves (due to their availability during the winter) but you can pick any leaves as long as you keep the stem. As for the ribbons, you can choose 1 single ribbon/yarn type or mix and match any widths or yarn mixtures you like (this is a perfect project for any left over ribbons, yarn pieces, or great after a birthday party!).

You’ll start by tying all the ribbons together to create a long string. Mix and match the ribbon/yarn colors. Try to keep the most interesting ribbon for last, as that will be the one that will show the most.

After you have created your long ribbon string, wrap it around a toilet roll. Start rolling it from your most favorite ribbon. It’s a great way to keep it from tangling up!

Open up the piece of newspaper. You are going to twist the paper (like a necktie) around the top 1/3 of the paper. Once you twisted it, it should look like a bow tie.

Starting from the smallest third, crunch the newspaper towards the twist. Once you have crunched the top 1/3 of the newspaper into a ball (don’t worry about it being perfect), do the same thing to the other 2/3 of the paper. This is the body for your bird.

Grab your ribbon string and tie it around the “neck” (where you twisted the newspaper).

Start rolling the ribbon around the biggest newspaper ball. This is where you can start shaping the newspaper, since it is crunchy and will give way.

Once you have covered all of the biggest part of your bird, start wrapping your ribbon around the small ball section (this is the bird’s head).

Tuck the very end of the ribbon onto another ribbon strand (with all the criss crossing, it should hide quite well). Also tuck in any other pieces of ribbon that may be sticking out. Now you have your bird’s body!

Collect your leaves. You’ll be using approximately 3 per side (but you may add more if you wish). You don’t need the whole leaf (but you do need the stems) so fold – or cut  – the leave slightly above the spine stem. Notice on the photo how I’ve cut 3 leaves with the stem facing left and 3 leaves with the stem facing right.

(If you don’t have access to fresh leaves, use your extra newspaper to cut out some oval shaped leaves. Once you cut them, glue them on top of the ribbons to create the bird’s feathers.)

Once your leaves are cut (and the more irregular the tear the better!), tuck them into the bird’s body. The criscross of the ribbons should give you plenty of hold. Start by placing a leaf towards the bottom back of the right side of the bird. Above it and slighlty closer to the bird’s head place the next leaf. Continue doing this in a step ladder method. Repeat on other side of bird.

You may glue the leaves together or leave them as is. Also you can decorate the back of the leaves by cutting them at a 45 degree angle and then cutting straight lines to create individual feathers.

Now it’s time for the beak. Insert the unopened bloom into the front center of the face area. It should be tucked nicely into the ribbons and the newspaper inside.

Finish the bird off by placing the two little twigs on the bottom part of the bird, creating it’s legs.

To show off your bird creation, loop a small piece of string through the center top of it’s back, and tie that to a windowsill or ceiling hook. Then simply watch your bird fly!

A "Green" Bird

I hope you have enjoyed this fun and simple art activity, using everyday objects that can be found in your home or backyard!

"Shadow Selves" :: 16x20" acrylic and pastel on canvas paper. © 2009 Pia f. Walker

Wimpy, full of pink, and lacking in character is exactly how this canvas art piece started. There is a beautiful magazine clipping that I’ve had for years – tropical pink background, soft creamy pink bowl, filled with exotic purple, pink, and yellow flowers. That was the inspiration, the starting point for this mixed media canvas. Yet my weakness in paint, and in knowing exactly what to do with a brush, made for a boring start.

I placed this canvas aside and continued painting. After several tries at maneuvering the brush and seeing it simply wipe paint on the canvas, I gave up and looked towards a pile of recycled, heavy stock cut papers that were remnants from my greeting cards. I’m not sure what gave me the idea or inclination to use that as my paint applicator, but off I went. I immediately loved the spackle effect, the vibrancy that remained in the paint and therefore on the canvas.

After finishing off a dozen or so other canvas I returned to this heavily pink piece. I tried again, placing heavy reds and burgundies on the painting, mixing them sparingly with white and a dusky yellow. I played too much, perhaps, but I found myself looking down at a canvas filled with life, a sunrise of colors awaiting to explode. Never had I worked on a color so daring and I wondered how the pastels would be able to match, or play off, the intense colors and texture.

Slowly, the idea of a woman attempting to stand against the colors crept into my sketches. I’m not sure if she is overwhelmed by the colors, by the vibrancy of life and a new day. I’m not sure if she is strong enough to tackle that much passion and life. But her shadow is. Albeit a less colorful character in this drawing, she is the backbone, the crutch helping the main figurine stand up to life, to challenges and adventures.

Sometimes we find ourselves as mere shadows of who we once were, a percentage point of what we were born with, of the character that we developed and believed in. Whatever the fear, the desperation, the compromise, I hope that your shadow self is holding you up, even as your knees buckle. And I hope that some day, you may find her again and become complete.

Pia

An earlier blog entry draft simply disappeared. And perhaps that is best. When something doesn’t feel right, doesn’t feel like it fits, it’s time to step back, walk away.

I am, in the beginning of this year, more unsure of where to step lightly next that I find myself wavering, on a single foot, balancing over a cascade of water. The irony is that I spent the better part of December 2009 planning. Yeap, in deep contrast to my first endeavor into the art world, I made a conscious decision to plan out 2010. There were goals attached to this planning, there were ideas, there were yellow pad sheets of paper filled with scribbles and brilliant ideas.

And yet I find myself, two weeks into 2010, staring at all that planning and ideas like they are alien foreigners. And that’s when it hits me: something doesn’t feel right. Not all the planning is off base, and not all the planning is recyclable material. Some really great thoughts arose out of those early December mornings when I found myself alone in a quiet living room, breathing in my own existence and being exhilarated by it, while others in the house slept.

I had plans for this blog. But there were a wrong fit, fulfilled the wrong purpose, pushed me to be, and write, in a manner that is, well, incomprehensible. I’ve stepped back in the last week, let this white screen sit idle, while earlier drafts teased me as to what I “should” be doing.

In the late nights that have transpired in that week, I have concretely hit upon what does feel right. Art is an experience. It transports me, and the viewer, into an event or moment or place. And while the final piece does the transporting, it is the creating itself that is the ultimate experience. In those finite seconds when I find myself staring at a work in progress, pastel pencil in hand, and have thoughts like “a convoluted conversation of tangents…veins of prior conversations,” those are the experiences that I wish to share in this blog, along with the final pieces of art themselves and some new ideas.

After writing down some more scribbles and thoughts (this time on a quad ruled notebook), after looking at several pages of notes and bubbles and arrows leading everywhere, I found myself looking at three simple words: Art, Activities, Myself. That is what I want to write about.

It may not get me the 1,000,000 readership that is so highly promoted and preached about. It may not get me the 100 readership. But it will feel right. I am a writer of convoluted conversations, tinged and tainted by veins of prior conversations and experiences. I am an artist that finds herself at an extreme crossroads of life (of which I have been at many times). If social media is to be about relationships, about being and sharing who you really are, then this is me. Long winded at times, strange and incomprehensible at others, naive and childish way too often, and attempting to be grown up most of the time.

Pia

The first drawing of the year brings me back to my initial love: child art! This pastel art work was all about the possibility of childhood and the daring view of seeing the world for the first time, with all it’s possibilities, regardless of the initial surroundings.

From initial quick sketch…to something more substantial…

to a more minimalist sketch, focusing on the child…

to a color palette that makes sure the focus is on the little girl…

to a test drawing to see that all the colors work together…

to the progression of the finished drawing.

“Round Peg” :: 12×12″ pastel pencil on paper. Copyright 2009 Pia F. Walker

Note: Thursday is Art Business day. Every week we will focus on a business idea that is helpful to an artist.

"Mommy Kisses" Note Card Box

Last week (due to the nearness of January 1st) we focused on calendars as a side product or byproduct of your artwork. But a longer term product line that can be easily constructed is along stationery, including items like note cards or greeting cards.

Today we’ll focus on note cards. First of all, it is necessary to note which of your pieces of art are most popular or well-liked by your customers. Because I have a set of greeting cards that I sell (and I keep a spreadsheet tally of what sells when), I’ve been able to tap into some hard facts when trying to choose pieces of artwork that will fit into note cards. Out of these top sellers, I also keep in mind comments that customers have passed along to me, especially if they mentioned why they were purchasing the card, what kind of occasion they were using it for, and the type of person they were buying the card for.

Since note cards are quite often purchased as gifts, I rely on customer comments when choosing from my best-seller greeting card list. The pieces of artwork that fit the most generic customer and occassion are the ones that make it into my note card set. These sets are primarily given out as hostess gifts or holiday stocking stuffers, so think about that when picking out artwork for your note cards.

Packaging and bundling come next. If you go into any card store or visit stationery websites, you’ll see that most sets come in packs of 10 or 12, and are usually prices between $8.95 and $15 (yes, there are sets that cost more, but these usually involve handmade cards with embellishments, etc.). Whether printing these cards yourself or through a commercial printer, you’ll need to calculate how much each card will cost and what kind of bundle you can put together (without breaking your own bank!).

With note cards, you’ll not only need to figure out the printing costs, but also the envelopes plus the packaging. Most third-party envelope/package vendors offer card set boxes, ranging in the standard rectangular sizes. These options include clear covers and cardboard boxes, or complete see-through plastic containers.

Another packaging option is creating your own (whether you put these boxes together in your own studio or hire a commercial printer to do them for you). If your set will be on the higher end of cost, a beautiful package does help in convincing the customer  that the product is worth it (and if it is exquisite without being wrapped, it’s extremely convenient for the customer as well).

Note Card set display

As to the cards themselves, take note of what kind of paper you will be printing them on (whether it is light-weight paper or heavier stock in a creamy color), as well as whether you will offer your customer a folding card or a single-sheet card (folding cards are typical greeting cards, where one piece of paper is folded in half, whereas single-sheet cards are a single piece of paper without folds, just a front and a back).

When putting the whole package together, be sure to include, whether inside the box or on the bottom of it, your basic info and artist information, as well as where the recipient can get replacements or more cards or artwork from you.

Not only will these be great products to offer your customers, but these can also become your own stationery when putting together thank you notes to customers or agents or gallery reps.

Note: Tuesday is Art Planning day. Every Tuesday we will publish an entry geared towards planning, whether it be an art project or a business venture.

In the last entry, we focused on coming up with big, overall themes for your “year of drawings.” Now it’s time to start fine tuning the details, in preparation for getting your brushes dirty and pencils sharpened.

Start breaking down your goals and creating a timeline by asking yourself:

1. How many paintings/drawings will you create per theme? Think about whether these pieces of art will be their own exhibit or if you are working out an “art” problem and will focus on just the best 2 or 3 pieces out of the collection.
2. What sizes/dimensions will each theme be? Are you working towards making bigger pieces and if so, will you jump from a small 16×20″ canvas to a 4×4′ piece, or will you gradually move upwards? Is there a small-canvas competition that you have your eye on (like the typical 20 pieces on 8×8″)? Does your typical customer shop for bigger single pieces or do they look for smaller collections of groupings?
3. How long does it take you to plan a theme,  get ideas for all your drawings, purchase materials, do working sketches? If you’ve planned out a collection of art pieces before, you can use that time as a starting point for your planning. If not, think back to a single piece of artwork that you completed and break down the process – or start taking notes on your next painting. Does your planning process take longer than the actual painting? How often do you revise the final painting itself?
4. Will the commercial aspects of art be an integral part of your planning or not? If you are a fine artist and just draw, then this won’t really play a part in your planning. If, however, you sell your art through commercial venues (like product placement or licensing), will a consistent theme/pattern/style, etc., need to be evident in all of your themes so that you can market all of your drawings and be creating a recognizable brand? This may affect the sizing of your drawings (keeping in a 3/4 sizing ratio, no squares or unique shapes). It may affect the placement of items in your drawings (greeting cards have the most important part of the drawing on the upper third of the card). It may affect the coloring scheme (will a 2-color print job be less expensive than a 4-color print job?).
5. What other things do you have going on? If you have art agents and marketing experts at your beck and call, then you know that you have 100% of your time to dedicate to art. If you are like the majority of artists who are working, painting, marketing, selling, etc., than you know that at least 50% of your  time is dedicated to other “business” things that have nothing to do with holding a brush or doing some plein air painting.

After going through these five questions, you should have a basic timeline for how long 1 painting will take you. If you have a set goal of how many paintings per theme you are going to do, then you can start to figure out how long each theme will take you. Pull out a 2010 calendar and start penciling in when you will tackle each theme. You might choose to do all the fun themes consecutively or alternate between drawing what you know with what you will want to experiment with.

Your overall theme planning may have produced more themes than what fit in one year. Keep those ideas close at hand, however, because they might be beneficial when thinking of artwork for exhibitions or competitions. Knowing that you have a sketch that doesn’t fit into your yearly themes but is the perfect entry for a national art competition will have you one step ahead!

Now that you’ve started to schedule your days, it’s time for the fun of sketching and creating to begin.

Pia

Note:  Published once a month, “A Thought Among Many…” focuses on random thoughts and how they relate to my art, to my art business, and to my growth as an artist and a businesswoman.

My brother revived an old holiday tradition this Christmas. Many moons ago, I bought a 1,000 piece puzzle of Van Goh’s Iris painting. After my decadent Thanksgiving meal, and before the desert and coffee, I brought out the puzzle and let my family at it. The eight of us divided up the task of setting aside borders, grouping pieces by colors, etc.

After the easy border was completed, we were left with only purples, blues, and yellows. It began to get competitive, as one of us looked at these single, small pieces and instantly knew where they belonged. Quickly, big chunks of the puzzle began to take shape. After everyone left, the puzzle was continued in spells and finally completed. For Christmas that year, another family member bought an even more challenging puzzle and brought it out for us to complete.

Puzzles began to appear at different holidays, each time being more complex and challenging. And so I find myself, again, this weekend after Christmas, spending 8 hours on a 3,000 piece puzzle. And yet as I managed to pull myself away, to go out for a cup of coffee and breathe fresh air, I began to see the correlations between this puzzle and the current business planning stage that I’m going through.

As I tackle one area of the puzzle at a time, I can get big chunks of it done. As I tackle one area of my business, give it my full attention for a complete day (or two), I see big improvements and headway. And just as I can get easily burried with just one area of the puzzle, it helps to simply straighten my back, take a look at another area (or another pile) and I can quickly begin to put pieces in place that half an hour before had stumped me completely. It’s the same with planning and business: one problem can stomp me from moving forward, and get if I walk away from it and do something else, I somehow manage to come back with a clear mind and a different persective, and wham, I get an idea and a possible resolution.

Even though I’ve got about ten groups of puzzle pieces going (sky, chapel, ground, lights, columns, obelisk), I can’t make heads or tails of any of it unless I have the complete picture infront of me. Attempting to put the pieces together without looking at the overall map is just a waste of time, and frustrating. As clueless as I was when I first jumped into this art business, I have (stubbornly) realized that having a map, a plan, an idea, a goal (or several) ends up being way more productive. The map may change (there is a plus for being flexible) but having an idea in place, a final destination, allows for better use of time and LESS frustrating moments.

So, I’ve got a bet that I’ll complete this puzzle in 96 hours (to be used up by February). This is a certain motivator to keeping me focused and on task. It is the same with my business plans. Knowing that I have to hit certain targets, certain deadlines, is quickly becoming a determining factor. Having someone to be accountable to for those deadlines (my brother for the puzzle!) is something that I’ve also instilled for my business goals. Monthly calls with a self-employed cohort keeps me on the ball.

A 48×32″ photo of St. Peter’s Cathedral is being created on my kitchen table. I’m focused on keeping the same energy and determination that I have on completing that puzzle as I do on completing my goals for 2010.

Pia