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Simplify

In my youth I adopted the adage “Go Forth and Multiply,” not so much in the biblical sense but I applied the saying to my multiple mediums of art making, business opportunities, husbands, children, my never ending variety of pets etc. Lately, I’m practicing more of a “Move On and Simplify” attitude, and it feels great! With our upcoming household and studio move (the new house is just five minutes away from our current house but a bit smaller) I was forced to scale down, consolidate, clean up and REORGANIZE. I was also forced to better FOCUS on my business(es) and art making. More importantly how and WHERE I perform my art making. Today I will also be moving my Blog to my web site. Don’t break up with me and stop reading or drop me from your Blog Rolls –that would make me so sad, please UPDATE your links with this new link to my Blog. I’ll still have regular posts and photos of what I’m up to in the studio, rants (of course!) and the ups and downs of being an artist, sneak peeks about the fam and photos of living the good life in Alaska -but it will just be located on my web site under the “BLOG” tab.  I'm simplifying!

10 years ago, it was confirmed...
I really did look more like my dad!

This is a great time to move on and celebrate my newfound simplifying focus. These reflections and changes have reenergized me and reminded me of the tremendous opportunities that lie ahead. For the last 10 years, October has traditionally been a very difficult month for me. Specifically, the day of October 23. On October 23, 2000 I was COMPLETELY SHOCKED to have been diagnosed with AML Leukemia during an appointment for what I thought was the stomach flu. The rug was yanked out from under my entire family 11 years ago when I was flown overnight to the University of Washington Medical Center for emergency treatment of Leukemia, that would last about a year. Thankfully, I’m in TOTAL remission and after 10 years medical professionals like to kick us survivors into the “CURED” category of statistics. I’m way too superstitious to say I’m “cured” and would be a liar if I said I don’t think about it much anymore –at least it’s down to thinking about the effects of being sick weekly instead of hourly. I would not be here today if it weren’t for the professionals at UW Med Center, the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance and the many donors at the Puget Sound Blood Center, who generously gave me their blood and matched donor platelets throughout my treatment (BTW, donate blood whenever you can, it really does save lives -I’m living proof).  I am happy to say that this year, for the first time, I feel I’m approaching October 23 with a whole palette of possibilities and a positive mental outlook on a calm, HEALTHY future.  Thanks to those of you who have purchased and enjoyed my art, for your thoughtful comments, reading my posts and overall support and friendship. Now bookmark my new Blog link and keep reading and sharing –I live for those comments!

Movin' On

I posted on FB that my heavy-duty vise needed a
new home. My friend and fellow welder,
Jody B. adopted it! Thanks Jody :)

The buyers of our house want to close on or before November 3. While both sales on the homes appear to be going swimmingly, I won’t say we have “bought a new house” until the keys are in hand or the first (of many!) mortgage payment is made. There are still SO MANY important details that have to be done that have NOTHING to do with the actual purging, packing or moving. There are the home inspections, the “health and safety repairs” that MUST be done on both properties, appointments for installers, plumbing/heating and electrical inspectors, as-built surveys, appraisals, realtors, mortgage companies, title companies, costs, FEES and more fees. But hands down the big daily project for me has been downsizing my metal shop/garage and an overall organizing and purging of the house and studio. We will need to build a shop and garage at the new house when time and money allow. Currently there is a charming, vintage single car garage and ALL of our tools will need to fit inside for the winter. I will have a nice, roomy and sunny studio in the house but it will be a bit smaller than what I’ve been used to. All of this has forced me to take a hard look at what actual art making I will be doing in the next year and letting go of the unnecessary art supplies and tools. My heavy-duty vise didn’t make the cut this weekend. She’s been sweet, and even held my anvel (which I’m not letting go) but the space the vise and base would take up made it necessary for her to find a new home with my friend Jody B. Jody, makes these killer fire bowls and his vise had just broke a couple weeks ago- good timing for him, huh?! I also had a dozen gridwall panels that I’d used in shows that weighed a ton, and also took up a lot of space. With no shows scheduled for me in the near future, bye-bye panels. Happy to say that the Girdwood Center for Visual Arts via Gina E. adopted all of my gridwall panels. Knowing that these and other items will be put to good use warms my Art Heart. I’m staying on task but this has been an emotional month for me.  Besides being reminded at every Rubbermaid tub I empty that I may have hoarding tendencies, watching that vise drive away atop Jody’s flat bed trailer was tough. Last night it looked like my little pony literally riding away from me in the sunset.

Big Talk Betty Crock

My original business cards and tags I used to use that has the "flaming heart" which I loved but was always difficult to reproduce.

My latest business cards I ordered from Vistaprint. I'm using these mainly for handing out when I do art teacher sub work for the school district. They have my contact info and sub ID number on them (which I've blurred out).

More (older) business cards and tags I still sometimes use but will need to get switched out.

More (older) business cards and tags I also sometimes use that will get switched out.

My current package design for the Art Quilt Patterns

My current logo for my web site and gold foil labels I just ordered.
I think this is the logo will start appearing on everything, hopefully reflecting
more of my fabric and illustrative work. The typeface
is much easier to read than the older logo.

My (older) current printed banner for shows.
It has been visually effective but got a bit tired
and tattered from the Market usage this summer.
Time for a fresh look.

As many of my friends and family members know, it’s easy for me to hand out advice. Especially advice on graphic design, marketing and advertising. I preach the importance of branding, having a clear message about your work or services and more importantly to have a well designed logo. As the volunteer vendor coordinator for the Spenard Farmer's Market, all summer I encouraged vendors at the market for increased sales to have “professional looking, creative signage and business cards that clearly communicates to the customer who you are, what you are selling and how they can contact you.” I provided vendors with effective booth and business marketing ideas using my 20+ years of expertise as a marketing and design professional. With all of these “opinions” how can my own branding and design message be so convoluted?! While needing to create another wholesale price list for my sales rep for my new Alaska souvenir items, I realized that I do not have a consistent logo. I have several variations of my logo or graphics that I like to use. From artful tags that I use on my metal sculptures (that sometimes double as my business cards), graphic and bold postcard mailers, to a typeface that I use on the line of Art Quilt Pattern’s packaging and even another look that I’ve been using for my digital social media communications and web site. I recently added to this convoluted mix by ordering some “cute” business cards from Vistaprint!! What was I thinking?! My goal is to pull all of these “looks” together, honestly evaluate what works best for the broad spectrum of art making that I do and have one logo, and one look that best “brands” my artistic message. Taking a bit of my own advice, in my opinion, I’ve got a lot of work to do. A daily horoscope recently put it best, “Dear Virgo, try and have a day without an opinion and focus on the task at hand.”

These were postcards I handed out at the Market. I used a more graphic look to tie in with the Market logo.  At the time I was also trying to advertise for the Market but this look didn't tie into any of my "logos." I even had print ads that ran using this format.

As the Geese Fly so Does Time

Saturday morning at 7am as I met the tow truck driver to get the Market lot cleared (the cars are just relocated to another area of the parking lot), the crisp Fall air and inky darkness was a gentle reminder that summer is behind us. As the Geese flew overhead practicing their V formations the last Spenard Farmer’s Market was on Saturday. Officially, the majority of my volunteer commitment as the Market Vendor Coordinator and PR point person is finished… well for a couple months at least! And not a weekend too soon! Our real estate swaps are keeping me busy with paperwork and cleaning but are going well. We’re waiting for the final reports from the home inspections that were both completed on Friday. It’s still all a bit stressful but exciting at the same time. I need to make another pass through the house and studio for even more purging and donating.

 

My new Vistaprint business cards arrived last week and I love them! Fun, affordable and easy to order with their existing templates. I also ordered some new gold foil embossed seals for the ABC Books and my art prints. Gold foil labels always add to the packaging. I used Maverick Label because of their quick turnaround and low prices. The labels are due to ship this week and we’ll see how their quality and turnaround is. It’s also time to design a new fabric design for the Quilted Raven. I already have several new designs drawn out and now it’s time to get them in digital form to see how the fabric will paginate. I’m happy to report that ALL of the bolts of the “Batik Raven Fabric” SOLD OUT this summer at the Quilted Raven! The popularity was partly due to the design and to the effective color ways that Jana had selected. 

Gus earned his Brown Belt in Tae Kwon Do at Champ TKD Saturday. Thank you to Master YU, Ms. Young and Instructor Timmy –what a GREAT Do Jang Champ TKD is!