stuff about artstuff.

There's No Place Like Home.

Welcome!

I'm starting the year with something new and different (for me, that is!). I've been invited to join an uber-talented group of artist friends in a fun blog hop.  We're touring everybody's studios, how fun is that?!  It's a virtual Open-Studio tour!

You get a fun peek inside the creative spaces of 11 (yes count 'em, 11) designing friends of mine (plus me, of course).  Just click on the names at the end of this post to tour each of their studios and visit their blogs, or simply use the forward/backward arrows (also after my post) to continue along the hop!

A special thank-you shout-out to our charming (and did I mention talented?) host, The Mr. Aaron Christensen of Aaron Christensen's Embellishments, for organizing this crazy party, and for creating the fabulous graphics you see at the beginning and end of this post.  Sooo . . . without further ad0, let the tour commence!

As they say on those celebrity home tours, "and this is where the magic happens."

In this case, the magic happens in a teeny tiny room in my teeny tiny house.  It's not glamorous, spacious, airy, or usually even tidy - but it's home.  It's where I spend my days, and often my nights.  It's where I create.

I paint.

I draw. 

I'm at the computer. 

It all happens right here.

Usually with a cat on my lap

(or inside my shirt)

and a dog at my feet.

If she's not on me, Flossie is in one of her many beds or perched on the printer, watching birds in the trees and the rest of the backyard.

One of my favorite quotations is the William Morris golden rule: "Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."  Beauty, of course, is in the eye of the beholder and my other golden rule is my Granddad's credo:

...and like my Granddad and Granny were, I'm happiest when I'm surrounded by my treasures.  In a space this tiny, though, storage is at a premium.

If it's not organized, it may as well not exist.  As cluttered as it gets (and it does get cluttered) there is always order to this chaos.

Bolts of fabric, handmade items for Etsy, product samples, and a giant flat-file full of large originals and prints all live quietly and out of sight in in an ever so mysterious room at the bottom of the stairs. No one ever goes there but me (well, no one has ever lived to speak of it).

I used to dream of spreading my creative wings in a large, airy studio - the same as I longed for a large, airy kitchen.  But I've got to admit, there's something very comforting about having the things I need within my reach   
 

  

and the things I love within my sight.      

   
 
 

Because really, there's no place like home.

Ok, now I'll answer those burning questions I know you're asking yourself:

Q. Why the heck does she have a piece of carpet glued to her Wacom?

A. Because I'm one of those lefties who holds my hand all backwards and the left-side scrolly bars go bezerk when I draw if I don't keep them covered.

Q. Why would someone keep a framed photo of the Next Generation crew front-and-center in her workspace? Is she that huge of a geek?

A. Well, yes I probably am that huge of a geek, but that's actually a favorite photo of my dear old dad posing with cardboard cutouts at an air & space museum. He's the handsome one in the front, pointing and saying, "Make it so."

 

Thanks for visiting! Be sure to hop on over and visit my talented friends as they welcome in the New Year with their own Studio Tour:



Aaron Christensen

Barbara Johansen-Newman

Beth Logan (well, you're already here!)

Brenda Pinnick

J. Wecker-Frisch

Karen Embry

Paula Joerling

Phyllis Dobbs

Samantha Walker

Sharon Himes

Shelly Comiskey

Sue Zipkin

New York Minute (Plus Extra Bonus Surtex Advice)

Hey there Blog Pals!  Look what I just found, a post I had written a month or so before Surtex. 

Normally I would say something shiny must have caught my eye to draw my attention from this and cause me to forget it, but in the month leading up to the show, it doesn't even take shiny objects.  Could have been anything.  Piece of dust, a hiccup, a loose eyelash, who knows. 

Anyway, here you go, a couple months later:

 

I've been traveling to New York for the Surtex show every May since 2000.  So long now that many of my family and friends have stopped calling it Zyrtec or Syntax or Snorkel or Merkin, and actually remember, and can say, its correct name.  Not all, but many.

As my annual pilgrimage Eastward looms nearer, I am reminded of some of my favorite little moments from past shows.  Not the kind I usually share with you here on my blog, but those odd little private moments that most likely, only I appreciate.

Just last year, this memory is still quite fresh: I found my Happy Place, for about 3 minutes until I was called back to my booth.
I cannot disclose the ultra-top-secret super-hidey don't-even-try-to-find-it location, but oh my word that was an amazing bagel. 

Or there was this pearl from 2006.  Next to my booth was an alcove left empty for the fire-extinguisher.  At some point during the show, a folding chair appeared.  This particular day was bustling and noisy, but this gentleman managed to sleep rather soundly in the hard little chair for about 45 minutes. 

Another favorite chair-related moment, this one walking back to the hotel after the last day of the show in 2007.  A priceless little still-life on West 34th Street.
God I love New York.

You get extra points for today if you remember my little friend Ibbs.  He is actually a useful and practical Bucky neck-pillow that I take with me on airplanes.  That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
But that face, gosh how it makes me smile when I get back to the room after a long flight, or even longer day at the show.  I just can't help it.

And speaking of long days, the following is still in the running as one of the longest in my entire life:

3 or 4 years ago, on set-up day. 

Sloshed through the streets with a hand-truck in some kind of crazy out-of-nowhere monsoon, after finding out the main Manhattan FedEx office where I'd shipped my displays had recently moved from its convenient location across the street from Javits Center to 11 blocks north.

Good times.

Crossing streets that were literally underwater.  Actual rivers with cars driving through them.

Soaked to the bone (you should have seen the looks on their faces when I splashed through the door of the FedEx office like a soggy dish-rag).

Dried off some during the long hours that followed, setting up my booth.

Exhausted and starving at the end of the day, I could not decide which desperate urge was stronger, so I multitasked.
I am not sure I have ever had a more satisfying slice or a more comforting, refreshing bath.

This time of year, the old Interwebs is bursting at the seams with Surtex advice: new exhibitors looking for it, and seasoned ones giving it.

Although he may not appreciate me sharing this here on my blog (but here I go anyway) I believe Husband-Guy has the all-time-best-bottom-line-Surtex-advice-ever.

A few years ago, it was that usual last-day-afternoon-lull after what had been a very busy show for us.  We finally had a moment to breathe, and he left the booth to walk around and take a peek at the rest of the hall for the first time.  When he came back, he said, "I have 2 pieces of important advice for anyone exhibiting at Surtex: 1. Always have a smile on your face, I don't care how miserable you feel, and 2. Never, ever sit in your booth like you're sitting on the toilet."

Since then, I have been too often reminded when walking the aisles exactly what he was talking about.  It's impossible to never be caught off-guard while "on-display" at a trade-show.  You can't get lipstick off your teeth without making a horrible face.  People yawn.  Heads itch.  Clothing scoots out-of-whack and requires adjustment.  All this happens under those bright lights in a 10' cube, we've all had that sheepish look on our face at one time or another when we realize it's happening.

On busy days with no time for an actual lunch-break, I've been approached more than once having just stolen a bite of something big, chewy, messy, or God-forbid all those things at once, from behind my booth-table.  Actually, doing so pretty much guarantees that the incredibly important person (or group of people) you've been dying to meet with will pop in at that exact moment. 

And many will falter, just for a second: you take a deep breath, lower your head, rest your elbows on your maybe-too-widely spread-apart knees, and forget where you are, even if just for a split-second.  You may not notice in your periphery that someone is passing your booth, and if you could see the look on their face you would be painfully aware that it says,"ew, that guy looks like he's sitting on a toilet." and you can be sure that they do not want to see what fabulous art you are showing on your now might-as-well-be bathroom walls, they are going to dart away quickly, trying their hardest to erase that image from their brain forever and ever.

The highs at Surtex, or any show, are supercrazyhigh.  The absolute exhileration of making deals, brainstorming projects and collections, compliments flying every which way - the excitement is amazing.  This is why we pay the big bucks, it's what we've been leading up to all year.  There's nothing like it.  But between those highs are moments that can feel endless and tortuous in comparison.  For those of you new to the show: be prepared with incredible endurance, patience, and thick skin that you never imagined necessary.  Really, you'll need it.  I don't care who you are, you will.

But don't forget to enjoy those moments, those odd little private moments that most likely, only you will appreciate.

Don't forget those during this busy preparation time, either.  Stop and breathe.  Take a walk.  Smell the flowers.  Listen to music you love.  Light a calming candle.  But if you do, never, ever, ever, EVER do this:

(yes, you're really seeing that).
And that, my friends, is the single best piece of advice I can ever give you: "don't set your art on fire" (unless, of course, you are a conceptual artist and fire is part of the piece itself and you have all safety issues under complete control - other than that, don't do it).

The Atlanta Gift Show

Just back from the whirlwind of overstimulation that is Americasmart.
Wow, what a great trip.  The inspiration, warm friendships, networking, productive meetings, tired feet, oh my gosh the tired feet ... did I mention the inspiration?  And great friends?  Yeah.  All of that, and then some.

I wish I had made this one up: my friend Sue kept calling it "Icelanta" - oh my gosh, what a week to visit The South.
Serious ice still blanketed many streets, but the view from above was stunning.

These shots were snapped while enjoying a lovely reception hosted by the Greeting Card Association at the Westin's Sun Dial (it rotates, like the Space Needle!).

Back home again to real-life, lots of follow-up ... and feeling crazy-inspired to start new projects.  A pretty good place to be, I'd say. 

Thanks, everyone who made the week such a great experience!

Just In Case You Thought I Knew What I Was Doing.

So if you've been reading the last few posts, you already know about my recent waking-state public speaking debut: yes, this was the first time I've had my lips anywhere near a microphone or my face in front of a crowd outside of that old recurring nightmare that for my entire adult life has managed to pop up during times of extreme stress: the one where, as I often did growing up, I'm back giving a talk in church  ... but being a nightmare, of course, I appear at the podium in various states of undress and/or sleepwear, and as the dream takes place in the present and I was still a child the last time I prepared a talk for church I've completely forgotten what the talk was to be about, and my notes are probably back in my old bedroom in the house my parents sold 26 years ago so they won't help me now.

What, you don't dream stuff like this?

Um, ok, well ... anyway.

I have to admit that I surprised myself by not only willingly but excitedly participating in the recent Surtex seminar program ... and it really did prove to be fun (no, really, actually fun, not just less-terrible-than-standing-before-my-childhood-church-congregation-as-a-stuttering-pajama-clad-adult, but fun).  Chatting with Dena and Kate (both amazing women!), answering questions, meeting all the enthusiastic people wanting to learn more about the business - it was a great experience from my point of view and I hope it was for all who attended.
(thanks, Leyla Torres, for the photo and the mention!)

But it seemed to have left me on some kind of crazy high or something, because later that day when the amazingly prolific, clever and connected Tara Reed bounced past my booth with that irresistibly sunshiny smile of hers and asked if I'd be up for a quick video interview about licensing, I (quite uncharacteristically) mumbled something like, "sure, why not...?" and only cringed a little when she enthusiastically grinned "Great! I'll be right back with my camera!" (for some reason I thought she meant some other interview, some other time, perhaps someday in the far and distant future - you know, maybe even in a galaxy far, far away...).

So.  All this is just to let you know that if you're at all curious about what I might have to say about my Adventure in Art Licensing, in minimal words and without forethought (it is quite possible my notes for this presentation are still back in my old bedroom at the house my parents sold 26 years ago), hop on over to Tara's Art Licensing Blog to see my interview, and while you're there check out all the others who have shared their own licensing stories.  Wow!  Once again Tara has taken a teensy spark of an idea and turned it into another incredible resource for artists looking to grow their business - this girl just blows me away with all she manages to accomplish, I'm pretty sure she has not only figured out how to exist without sleep, but how to control the Space-time Continuum and I am eagerly awaiting her telesminar and eBook on Warp Speed.

The one thing you are pretty sure to come away with after watching (aside from the fact that I can make my lips completely disappear) is this: Beth Logan had no idea what she was doing.  I mean, just in case I didn't make it clear enough by repeating that several times during the interview.

But it is true - even just a few years ago the kinds of resources that are available to artists now simply didn't exist.  There is a wealth of information out there now to help creatives find their niche and pursue their own Art Business path.  Stumbling blindly into stuff is pretty much how I roll, in general.   Others, however, may prefer an actual plan, even goals, so I've added a new section of art licensing links in my sidebar.

And the cats drinking coffee? 
My very first licensed design.  Although technically, Espresso Time was really the second time I licensed a design ... the first was a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away ... seriously long and far, longer and farther than I care to think about: primordial ooze, dinosaurs, Beth's first licensing deal...

Crocodiles

My good friend Sue emailed me last week to check on me.  Said she just wanted to make sure I hadn't been eaten by crocodiles.

As my communication skills seem to be at a bare minimum lately, let's see if I can sum this up in a couple of illustrations:

This is my brain. 

This is my brain after Surtex.
Yeah, with bacon and everything. 

After the show and show-hoopla.  After minimal days off and no real "weekends" (in the traditional sense) for months.  After weeks of staring only into this monitor day and night with show follow-up, client projects, backed-up admin...

Don't get me wrong, I am not complaining.  Crazy-overwhelming-busy is what I hope for this time of year, after several months of hard work put into preparing for the show.  Since returning from NY, I have already signed a couple of contracts with new clients, started new projects with existing ones, finished a couple sudden-last-minute-emergency-deadline projects ... and am just starting to catch up with the rest.

And yesterday, I treated myself to a glorious afternoon battling weeds in the flowerbeds and finally got my little tomato plants into the ground (they've been patiently waiting for me since bringing them home the first weekend of May). 

You thought I was exaggerating about the grass in my last post? 
Yup, true-confessions time: this is the glamorous life of the licensing illustrator.  I put on those too-busy-to-deal blinders and the world around me - home, garden, everything - simply ceases to exist until I can come-to again.  Fortunately, in spite of this, the garden seems to have been thriving along with the weeds.  The only real victim of this year's shameful period of neglect seems to be Molly's favorite toy that accidentally got chewed up by the mower (oops) but Flossie still loves it.  Molly probably will too, once it dries out a little (unlike Flossie, the dog is offended by soggy toys).

Soon I will be back - emailing, visiting blogs, being "normal" again.  Really, I promise.  But for now, if asked, I think I will go with the crocodiles-excuse: Yes.  Yes, I have been eaten by crocodiles.

The Rainbow at the End of the Thing, and the Thing at the End of the Rainbow.

Another Artstuff business-year has ended and started again (happy new year, everyone!).  Surtex is over for another year, and what a great show it was!  The mood was upbeat and the booth was busy.  I had great meetings with some of my awesome licensing partners and met some interesting new folks who I hope to work with in the near future.
Ugh, my eyes are always puffy looking in my booth photos.   I suppose it's because I always think of taking them in the morning before the show gets busy ... according to my West Coast body, it's 5:30am in this shot (ew).

Anyhoo.

I had a blast putting together my booth displays, thoroughly enjoyed connecting with dear friends, had a great time at our Artist Breakfast and really enjoyed meeting and chatting with those of you who attended the seminar (thanks for coming!).

I am so grateful for the great friends I've made over the years at this show - and was lucky enough to get to have dinner with a few of them while in NY. 
Next to me is the Amazingly Talented Amber Alvarez, and on around the table: the Amazingly Talented Jill Seale, the Amazingly Talented Andrea Mistretta, the Amazingly Talented Sue Zipkin, the Amazingly Talented Chris Chun, the Amazingly Talented Linda Jacque, and the Amazingly Talented Jane Shasky.  Although we all know I'm often guilty of it, in this case I'm not exaggerating.  Every single one of them is - well, what I said, really, and if you don't already know this, follow their links and get blown away by beautiful art and unbelievable cleverness yourself.  You'll see.

Then, suddenly it was all over. 
We said goodbye to New York for another year. 
I blinked and there I was, already over the Rockies. 
I am the person-in-an-airplane equivalent to a Golden Retriever with its head out the car window, ears and tongue flapping in the breeze.  Seriously.  If someone were to photograph a plane from the side in which I was a passenger, in the long row of little windows you would see one little round pink face practically pasted to the glass, watching the world pass below.  Even when it's just clouds out there.  I soak in the textures of white as we pass over and through, the way those little ice crystals form on the window and change shape, eventually turning into plain old drops of water back at a lower altitude.  Of course I enjoy it more when I can see land below, the patchwork passing by ... the shapes and textures of farms, cities, forests, lakes and rivers, mountains ... it's all so beautiful from up there. 
Solid white was all I got to look at once we were over Washington state though ... but then (how cool is this?!) the moment we popped out under the clouds, I was looking right at my house. 
Can you see it?  It's right there!  It's my house!

And even better: the Welcome Home Rainbow waiting for us on the ground.  These were taken from a car traveling at freeway speed (don't worry, Husband Guy was driving while I held the camera!) but look, it went all the way around, and had a ghost rainbow around it.

 
Glad to be home again, really glad to be not preparing for Surtex any more, and really really really glad to have had an awesome show.  Here in my office, there's a ton of show follow-up to finish now, but outside: I won't even tell you about the weeds - oh my.  And if I don't get to that grass soon we may totally misplace Molly next time she heads out to the backyard for a pee. 

But for now, I need to stay in here and work on that thing at the end of the rainbow.  Who knows, maybe it is a pot of gold.  A girl can dream, right?

Exciting News about Surtex!

It's that time again!  The pace quickens, the nervousness returns, way too many new ideas for designs (that are dying to be drawn) overcrowd my already packed-to-capacity brain as I wrap up displays, logistics, details ... this can only mean one thing: May is right around the corner, and so is SURTEX.  You know, it's the time of year I tend to disappear into myself for weeks at a time, blogging (and general communicating) sporadically, if at all.  And if you do see me, there will for sure be some kind of incomprehensible muttering (maybe only my lips will be moving) as I stare into what seems to be the deep, dark distance ... yes, I do appear a bit scattered this time of year, although really it's just super-ultra-extreme-mega-focus, yeah, that's what it is.

The most important 3 days of my year start with a month or so of my entire home looking something like this
(you wondered why you were never invited over in April?) 

It looks like this... 
then for a minute it will look something like this... 
then don't blink because suddenly, this is all that's left. 
It's always a whirlwind and as usual I'm super excited about the whole mess.  This is my chance to sit down for face-to-face chats and in-person brainstorming sessions with the wonderful clients I usually only communicate with by phone or email, connect with interesting new companies, and of course see dear friends I've made over the years at the show!  And this year, in addition to the usual busy-bee-at-my-booth stuff, I'll be joining Kate McRostie and Dena Fishbein in a fun Q & A breakfast as part of the SURTEX Conference Program! 

Join us on Tuesday morning, May 18 from 8:30-10 for "The 'Art' of Success: a Dialog with Artists who are Making it Happen".  This is your chance to ask us your burning questions about getting into (and staying in) this crazy business!  Discounted rates apply for pre-registration for this or any of the other great seminars in the program or you can register on-site once you're at the show.  This year's overall theme is "The NEW Reality of Art Licensing & Sales: Strategies for Business Prosperity in a Tough Economy" and the entire program is jam-packed with invaluable information and advice on everything you could possibly want to know if you're really serious about your art licensing business.

If you're at the show, I hope to see you Tuesday morning!

They're Asking You and Me...

The Federal Government (yes, that Federal Government) wants to hear from you about how copyright law effects you.  No, really, they do.  Let y0ur voice be heard, creative friends and those who care about the rights of all artists and creators!

Please visit this post on Sue Zipkin's blog for the full story.

In the Art Licensing community, we have all been faced with infringement situations on some scale; when those new to the industry ask me about this issue I tell them "it's just a matter of time before it happens to you" and I don't mean that in a "we're all doomed" sort of way, it's just how things are out there.  It's so important that the law continues to protect artists as it always has in these cases, and grows and changes with the digital age as new media becomes available to the public, including those who would take advantage of others.

This is our chance, they're making it simple - you can do it in an email - please take a moment to speak out about how important Intellectual Property Enforcement is to you, and to all of us.

Thanks to Sue and to the Copyright Alliance for getting the word out about this! 
And thanks to the Copyright Alliance for all the great work they're doing.  You can find out more on their website.

Happy New Year.

Well, it is for me.

I always say that my year starts and ends with the Surtex show. The show was last week and here I am, facing the new year ahead. With a smile, even. Finding real-life under the rubble of my show-prep tornado. Following-up, scrambling to finish stuff I left behind and start exciting new projects discussed at the show. I feel like it was a good one this year. Who knew? I had some great meetings with existing clients, and reconnected with some who, due to the current economic situation, I was afraid I might not get a chance to work with again...but thankfully this crazy industry is full of Weebles (we wobble but we don't fall down). And I made some great new contacts...you never know.

Could be something.

It will take a while to know for sure, but I left NY feeling hopeful and satisfied. Can't ask for more than that. Well, yes you can. Crazy billionaires storming through the aisles throwing wads of cash at exhibitors might have been nice, but really...clients who I like still being in business and moving forward with fun projects...that makes me happy.

This is where it started...I already told you the effect this sight has on the cockles of my heart. And I don't even know what those are.

There it is, waiting for me in the booth. All in one piece. Is there anything as beautiful as that little crate? The moment was flawless, poetic. Never mind the partial bird carcass that kept blowing across the floor into my otherwise empty booth every time a forklift would whish past. Beautiful. Perfect.

The rest of the week is a little bit of a blur.

But somewhere in there, ohmygosh, the best slice I've ever eaten. I realize that's an incredibly bold statement and that I am tiptoeing on hallowed ground discussing slices this matter-of-factly (I'm sorry) but really.

Go here.

Eat this.

You won't be sorry.

The gelato and ices looked pretty awesome too, but I was all about the slice.

So yeah, it was a blur. With pizza somewhere in the middle. And then it was over, displays torn down and the crate repacked and taped up some more.

I watched the country pass below me in that amazing patchwork...Eastern farmland and woodlands, the Great Lakes, the rugged Dakotas and Montana, and finally my familiar mountains, forests, lakes and rivers...and as the sun set, the lights of my own little city.

And then it was the New Year. Just like that.

And this is where it ends.

Back at home with Husband Guy, my furry girls, my little tomato plants, my lilacs (still blooming...another reason to smile). A holiday weekend (pulled weeds for 3 straight days, no kidding). A new week, new prospects, and lots and lots of work to catch up on. And today, a truck pulled up in front of the house with the crate. All in one piece.

I will be sharing more soon...maybe even a top-secret sneak-peek of my show displays (you never know, it's just that kind of year). But for now, I just had to stop in for a minute and wish you all a Happy New Year.

May.

May is good.

Too often it gets lost in the shuffle around here...what with Surtex falling smack dab in the middle of it and all.

But May is green. Really, really green. 

And I dig that.

And May smells like lilacs. No other month smells like lilacs. I mean, other months have other nice smells, but lilacs. Mmmm. Note to self: always remember to enjoy May even though I'm getting ready for the show. That might seem really obvious to most of you, but whole months really do disappear when preparing for this thing. Just like that. Whole months. No kidding.

But for right now, my bags are packed. Leaving for NY first thing in the morning. I'm excited about the show, but am already looking forward to the part of May that falls after I return home. The part where I catch up with my friends and family, work in the garden, start new projects...soak in the green-ness that is May.

Looking forward to catching up with you all then...because, remember, everything is always  perfect...after the show.

Heavy Sigh (and then some).

A little out of touch around here the last few days.

I won't bore you with the details leading up to it, but it has culminated in a brand new shiny hard-drive and a couple other random components for my computer (not planned purchases, mind you). Yawn, you really don't want to know more, so we'll leave it at that.

What you do need to know (maybe you already do but I'm about to tell you anyway) is, while I was residing in my own Private Idaho, all holed up here freaking out about small things, out-of-touch with (gasp) even email, a lot went on out there in the real world. Among other sad and terrible news, the Orphan Works Act passed Senate by hotlining.

"As lawmakers struggled Friday to clean up the mess on Wall Street, sponsors of the Orphan Works Act passed more special interest legislation. Their bill would force copyright holders to subsidize giant copyright databases run by giant internet firms.

"Like the companies now needing billion dollar bailouts, these copyright registries – which would theoretically contain the entire copyright wealth of the US – would presumably be "too big to fail." Yet it's our wealth, not theirs, the scheme would risk.

"Small business owners didn't ask for this legislation. We don't want it and we don't need it. Our opposition numbers have been growing daily. So Friday, the bill's sponsors reached for the hotline."

(quoted from the IPOW blog)

Please, please, please, if you don't already know about this issue, find out about it here; and even if you have taken action previously, please, please, please take a few seconds (really this is all it takes,  I promise) and send a new message to your House Representative by filling in your zip-code here and following a couple simple prompts. A couple seconds, really.

If you're another artist, it's your personal property and livelihood at stake here. If you're a supporter of the arts in any way, please do everyone-you-care-about-who-creates a favor and help us with this issue.

Did I mention it will only take a couple seconds?

It's Still Lurking Out There...

A special thanks to fellow licensing-artist Brenda Pinnick for the new link in my sidebar to the Orphan Works Opposition Headquarters website. You can read about the current status of the bills here, and Brenda herself has written a great post on their blog.
On a lovely summer day with loads of other things to think about and do, it's easy for it to fall into the old out-of-sight-out-of-mind status, but this dangerous issue hasn't gone away yet and it won't without our voices being heard (and heard, and heard, and heard again)...so here's my little nudge-nudge-nudge to all of you to keep on top of it!
Thanks Brenda, and all of you who have been so involved in the fight!

IheartNY

Written Wednesday May 21 10:07am ET in my hotel room in Manhattan:
It's the Surtex post-show hangover...feels like a real one. You other exhibitors know exactly what I'm talking about. Don't want to get all-the-way out of bed, really don't want to pack. Finally opened some of the magazines I brought...the stack had been growing in the weeks leading up to the show, tempting me...but no time for that then.

Brain still whirling from complete overload. So cool to see my old friends (scary how it doesn't feel like a whole year passes in-between) and meet new ones. Honestly making friends was the last thing on my mind when I started this roller-coaster but (in spite of myself) I've been blessed with amazing friendships that mean the world to me. Who knew? So...a quick "hi" to those new friends I've made, we'll talk soon I'm sure. In the mean time all I want to do is draw, draw, draw...I'm bursting at the seams (just like my suitcase will be shortly) with ideas for new collections. But checkout time is soon, the sun is out (finally!) it's a beautiful day in Manhattan. I'll leisurely meander my way to the train and head out of town.

I'll feel a little tug of sadness watching The City disappear below and behind me. But in a few hours...the green Cascade Range will open up below me, Mt. Baker, Rainier, St. Helens, and Adams all peeking up through the clouds in the distance; clusters of development, highways, and waterways will start to look familiar and my heart will start beating faster in anticipation of being home again.

The animals will pretend to be mad at me - it's been a whole week - but shortly they will both melt into me and I will be enveloped in a cloud of pet hair, staying airborne by the breeze from a big wagging tail and gluing itself to me with puddles of cat drool (yes I said cat drool, so?).

It will be heaven.
Real-life again.
Well, sort of.

First: the follow-up.
People with deadlines. Projects needed ASAP. Emails to send. Phone calls to make. Portfolios to mail. Stuff to be started. Stuff to finish. Not to mention stacks of mail, papers, odd things on my desk and around the house...and a few months worth of scheduling to organize.
I'll start thinking about that on Friday.
First, I'm going to take my first day off in several weeks.

The Curse of the Three P's.

When I started this blog, my goal was to keep it light, pleasant...a place that gives the reader the same feeling that I'd hope my art gives you. I wanted to avoid the Three P's...getting too Preachy, Political, or Personal.

But I'm sorry, this Orphan Works issue plunges me straight into the deep-end of that 3P-pool (another problem, as we all know it's a terrible faux pas to combine P and pools). Because, unfortunately, this Political issue is so Personal to me I can't help but be Preachy...and because I know other creatives may pop in here now and then to take a peek, I must make sure that this information is out there, as changes to US Copyright Law affects ALL who create.

Organizations are organizing and activists are activating and there are simple ways now for even the unmotivatedest to motivate:
This site has a page of links with different form-letters where you can just drop in your own pertinent info and send to your local representatives (the "take action" links take you to their contact info, how simple is that?) as well as the Judiciary Committee.
And this site is simply an online petition that takes about 10 seconds to sign.

Please (there's another P) please, please...Visual Artists and Friends of Visual Artists...take a few seconds, a few minutes, anything...let them hear our voices and let's not allow this to pass.

Still on the fence about the issue? My dear husband, The Metaphor King (no really that's his name...ok sometimes it is) put it this way in the letters he sent to officials (and he's been quoted on the Art of Licensing site):

“Imagine someone walked down the street and came upon a legally parked vehicle.  If in the mind of that person, they could not easily determine to whom the vehicle belonged, would they have the right to drive it away and use it for whatever they saw fit to use it for? Obviously any sane person would think this action would be absurd…whether it is a car or a design, using or taking something you know you did not create or do not have permission to use is just plain wrong…”

Thank you.
Step. Step.
(that's me stepping down from my soap-box now).

Illustration Friday: Wrinkles

Ok, so I spent all of 5 minutes on this sketch and yes, it's ugly but HEY! I just wanted to get your attention....just in case you're not already completely and thoroughly aware of this, the Orphan Works Bill is back...like one of those horror-movie characters that won't stay dead.
And yes, it is giving me new wrinkles. I'm not sure which upsets me more, wrinkles or losing the rights to my art - my livelihood, my income, my entire career, my creations, my babies...ok, I'm not quite that vain, of course the latter is most upsetting of the two (duh).
Please, please, please, please please...take a few moments and make your voice heard about this before the unthinkable happens and this ridiculously bad bill becomes a ridiculously bad law. You don't have to go far to find information on this, there are links on a gazillion various art and photography blogs and websites with resources: form-letters you can fill-in if you're not comfortable writing one yourself, links to find your own Senators and Congressmen/women, you can download and read both versions of the bill...look, I know you're busy and you don't like doing stuff like this. Ok, I know I'm busy and don't like doing stuff like this, so it's easy for me to assume you might be the same way. But really...this time, something needs to be done.
Please take a few minutes now, ok?
Thanks.

But I'm Right-Brained.

And yes, that's written in a whiny voice.

You think this picture is blurry? Yup, that's how I'm seeing it about now.

Numbers and taxes and balancing oh my. 13 hours straight. 

The really good news is that by about the 10th or 11th of those my Profit and Loss Report finally matched my End-of-Year Balance Sheet.  Those 2 numbers never want to be the same. I know. I told you already...I'm right-brained. Those things that come really easily to you practical-type folks...not so much over here. And those numbers, well the accountant gets pretty annoyed at me when those 2 don't play nicely together. Or rather, match exactly. No one's really playing here, even nicely. All this "exact" stuff. I'm really not all about that the rest of the year. Those Department of Revenue folks at the City and the State, not to mention the IRS, they're really into that whole accuracy thing. They're kind of crazy that way.

So here they go...all of 'em. Accurate. On time even.

But now I can go back and fluff up the side of my brain that actually works well, and to the left side, for now, see you later, alligator. I'm going to go eat something chocolate for dinner.