Sights

Just some interesting sights from the past couple of days.

It's been so cold here.  When it gets to 30 degrees Farenheit I call it 'warm'.  This is the frost that was waiting for me when I got off work one night.

Sweet potato french fries.  Absolutely delicious, and more nutritious than white potato french fries.  See my recent tweets if you want to know how to cook them:-)

Mayoree's panda.  My mom bought it for her at the National Zoo.  They had a lot of fun this past summer.  I found this last night laying on the floor.  I got my Argus Seventy-Five in the mail, and was trying it out.  It's too much fun.

An oldish shot...From Christmas Day.  All these birds were on my grandmother's back lawn.  I think they were looking for worms...

Carrying a camera is good.  I just wish my DSLR wasn't so HUGE, and clunky.  Can't someone make a compact DSLR that doesn't cost a king's ransom?

Wahhhh!! (A Brief Rant)

So,I'll be posting a (kinda) brief rant before I post my goals for the new year.  Here goes.

Recently, in the etsy forums there was a forum thread that really got my attention: Etsy vs. Ebay.  The OP was a fine artist, Ebay veteran and having a b**** of a time selling there.  Most Etsy sellers already know what I'm talking about: endless tweeting, blogging, promoting etc. just to get views.  Usually when this sort of thread starts up people start bashing Ebay.  Not this time.  Now, a lot of people are actually considering going to that big auction site in the sky. Etsy requires a lot of WORK.  Not to say that we don't expect to work hard to make sales, but more time than what seems worth it.  After reading the first pages of the thread last week I decided to list some items on Ebay.   54 pages into the thread, and my first auction on ebay ended.

I sold my first item ever on ebay, and for the price I listed it for on Etsy.  Strange, no?

Here's what I like about it: no promotion.  I didn't have to harrass people on twitter, or get on facebook to do it.  Ebay has the buyers, plain and simple.

I have worked incredibly hard in my shop, and I have nothing to show for it.  Oh, I'm sorry, except the bills that I get from them for listing!  Listing fees keep mounting, but my shop is still so lonely.

For a while, I thought that it was my art.  So, just to test the waters I tried selling some of my art at a charity event on Saturday.  I was already expected to sell some of my jewelry.  The art was just a way for me to judge how people felt about the art.

I sold a photo, and an original drawing.  Both of these items had been listed in my shop, but no one was looking or hearting them.

 

So, I think that Etsy just may not be the venue for me.  I've had a shop on 1000 Markets since July, and I think that I need to work with that store more. 

I've made more money in the past three days without  Etsy than what I did last year from both of my Etsy stores.

That's one of my many goals for this year, including getting into some gallery shows.  There is a group exhibition coming up at the end of this month that I'm dying to get into!  Keep your fingers crossed for me.

And, I apologize for the rant.  I was just so frustrated.  I thought that I was creating all of this really terrible art that no one wanted to buy...I'm just glad that it's not me!

I'll be posting my goals later.  I have a lot to think about now.

Artist on the rise

Since my daughter was really young I've been encouraging her to make art.  I noticed really early on that she liked to draw; she was constantly watching me make art, and drawing in my sketchbooks.  Over the past year and a half I've bought her tons of her own art supplies, and watched her skills flourish.  I like the art that she makes.  It's interesting in ways that an adult mind can't always understand.  It's fresh, energetic, and not weighted down with the worldly bull- that we adult artists create.

I've also created an interest in her for photography.  She really likes the idea of photography.  Even film!  So, for a whole day I let her use a 35mm point and shoot camera.  She really enjoyed the experience, and still carries the camera around to take pictures.

She thinks taking pictures of mommy is really funny.

If there's one thing that my daughter has taught me it's that you have to find a different way of seeing the world.  In order to excel in art and photography you have to find the right angle.

I recently bought some Shiva Oil Sticks, and she had a ton of fun with those.  She likes playing with my pastels/oil pastels.  So, we both made a picture using the oil sticks.  She did most of the work.  I just drew in the sky and the clouds/monster.  Mayoree really enjoyed it. 

Now this picture is up on her wall.  It makes her happy, and proud to see her art up on the wall.  The same way I feel when I look at my art!  I've promised myself that I will make an aritsts out of this one.

Featured in another Treasury!

I was so surprised when Creeplings contacted me. The name of the treasury was "Pale and Pearly". I did manage to get a screen shot of it. Thanks so much!

I've been busy

I've been taking pictures like crazy. I just discovered TTV, and I love it. It's so much fun. That's what I love about photography:it's a very flexible medium.

What was I thinking?

I have no idea why I did this... I was about to develop my film. For some reason I opened up the tank! I can't even remember why I did it. I just wasn't thinking. The tank had both rolls of my Ilford Delta 400 in it. I did those rolls first because the have DXN coding. It is the only film I own that can be commercially scanned. I'm really bummed now:(
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Featured in my first treasury on Etsy!

Help me get this one on the front page!

Hooray! I'm featured in my first treasury from BlingbyChristine.

Here is the link.


This is the photo I was featured for:

Happy Independence Day!

Happy Independence Day!
Originally uploaded by jr_goddess

I hope that everyone is safe on this holiday!

Featured on Trunkt!

I'm so excited: I've been featured in 3 showcases on Trunkt!

Follow me on Trunkt.org!

I'm asking anyone who bothers to read this blog to please help me! I have an account on Trunkt, and I would love to upgrade it. Here's how you can help:

1) Follow this link, and sign up for a free wishlist account. This is not a lie, or a way to trick you in to spam or anything. The wishlist account is positively free.

2.) Go to my portfolio and follow me. That's it!

While you're there you should check out the hundreds of other amazing portfolios. There is a large collection of artists and artisans there. I still get giddy when I browse the site!

A lot of these artists are on Etsy. Go to their shops and buy what you like.

Trunkt :: Beautiful Giftware Created By Amazing Artisans - T. J-Toubeaux

Trunkt :: Beautiful Giftware Created By Amazing Artisans - T. J-Toubeaux

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Hooray! I'm so excited that I finally got onto this website. I've never applied out of fear of rejection. I got accepted on the first try! Trunkt is a beautifully designed site full of talented artists and artisans.

Right now I only have a trial portfolio, but I am absolutely upgrading to premium next week when I get paid!