New Book!

Hot off the press!  Poetic Zen first published in 2004, now revised with all new color images and a bonus poem!  Available in both print and digital formats on MagCloud.

Poetic Zen

By J Gray in Poetry & Images

24 pages, published 12/9/2016

Poetic Zen was first printed in 2004. Now revised in 2016 with all new color images and a bonus poem!

Last day of 2012

Out with the old and in with the new!  

It has been an adventurous year for the New Pioneer.  Lots of projects completed, some new ones started and some I did over. 

Although my new year actually starts at the Winter Solstice (return of the sun for me) I can look to the next chronological year with hope and inspiration.  When you live alone you are your own cheering section, so you've got to keep it positive.  This last snow storm really challenged my moral.

I'm adding some work skills for next year to increase my income, as Virtual Assistant.  You can visit that blog here .  I'm offering services in all kinds of areas - both "virtually" through cyber space, and locally.  I've got years of experience helping artists with their careers and locally I have helped several people organize their small businesses.  So if you need help, send me an email!

I'm cutting back the online sales venues for my art this next year.  I'm really enjoying selling locally and working with real people.  I plan to create a new line of cards too.

I'm being called back to paints as I see abstract images swirling in my head... so stay tuned as that develops.

Thank you blog followers for sticking with me this year.  It's not always exciting here in the woods, so I hope I have conveyed some of the simple pleasures I get with my plants and wildlife.

Happy New Year!! 

Art Show!

Featured Artist for September at the Pier 101 Gift Boutique in Hoodsport, WA.

I am pictured here with my display corner in the store.  Tomorrow is the big day for the featured artist show where I will have a separate table set up with additional inventory.

The announcements have been sent out as well as my monthly newsletter from my website at www.jenigray.com .

The new Earthy Girl jewelry line is taking off quite well!  People are enjoying the selection of natural materials and stones - especially the very affordable bracelets made with memory wire that form right to your wrist.  I can hardly keep up with the demand.

If you're in my area, please stop in and say hello.  I will be there all day Saturday, Sept. 22nd, talking about my art and demonstrating how to wear some of the jewelry pieces.

My goal as always, is to raise awareness for sustainable products, buying local and keeping things environmentally friendly.  This should include clothing and accessories!  

Blog Tune Up

The inspiration continues and the ideas are flowing!
I've been tweaking the blog today to ease navigation, organize and de-clutter!

I've added new pages:  Nature Cards and Books, and renamed others.  What used to be the Mission Statement page is now simply called About New Pioneer, and NP Styles is now About NP Styles.  

This makes it easier for newcomers and general reference.

The Nature Cards page is a big deal!  I first took the best of my recent images and created a new gallery on my artist website at Fine Art America (you can view it here ).  These images are only available as greeting cards at this time.  If you are interested in enlargements please contact me.

Then I created the new Nature Cards page on the blog (view here ) which is the full collection with several links for purchasing.

I have been with Fine Art America for almost three years and they do beautiful printing, timely shipping, and secure purchasing.

The Books page was a terrific way to get them all in one place!  I have several photo collection books available through MagCloud;  great coffee table books or gifts.  I also have my second poetry book and the Backyard Bird Sighting booklet available.  You can view that page here .

I'm gathering recent poems for a third book, coming soon, and I plan to reprint the first book from 2004 in this new format on MagCloud - so stay tuned for that!

Additionally, I have cleaned up the side bars on the blog.  The images to the left under the first house photo are all available as greeting cards and click-able to that page.

On the right side bar under recent posts I have added easy access links to the pages as well.

Other new surprises coming soon will be a Nature Kit, The Shift oracle cards, and several new ideas for quick downloadable guides!!

Whew!  What a great day for cleaning blog house.

Thanks for being here!

The Return of Cottage Industry

(imported from my former photo blog)
We've become a world of virtual shoppers, virtual communicators and virtual identities.  As an optimist I'd like to think there are still "real" people out there, with real integrity and honest motives.

I loved the movie Jerry MaGuire, where he has had a quantum moment and writes a mission statement about getting back to the real meaning of doing business;  less clients, more quality service.

I've been thinking a lot about my art business and how it has become virtually too virtual.  Most everything I've done in the last couple of years has been online - cyber galleries, websites and facebook promoted.  Sales have been dismal.

Instead of making assumptions like people just aren't buying art because of the current economy, or God forbid, my art just isn't good enough, I've decided it's time to reformat.

 I want to return to a more grass roots, cottage industry operation.  More personal relationships, meaningful service.

In both of my previous brick and mortar galleries, I sold more real art to real people.  They could see the art on the wall, or as greeting cards, tangible, real.

We would talk about their tastes, preferences, collections.  Art isn't just decor, it accents the furniture and surroundings of a home or office.

From the business angle, this idea gives me more control of my business, however it also increases my responsibility to market myself.

In this day and age everyone is a photographer, so we've got to find our niche that speaks for each of us.  Mine has become limited edition prints that are hand signed and numbered, as well as greeting cards, so it just makes sense to return to some of my former strategies for sales and marketing - in the real world.

So as I convert most of my online viewing to private galleries by password use only, I will also be creating a home studio space and a mobile studio that will come right to your door if you live within 60 miles of me.

I also hope to organize a few small local shows and at least one annual open art studio tour for Hood Canal artists.

I have a feeling that I am not alone in this endeavor.  I think other artists are also becoming disenchanted with the virtual world.  

Let's take a step back, regroup, reassess and get more personal.

Photo Art

(imported from my former photo blog)
Manipulating photos brings out the artist in me.  Especially when the photo is not a stand alone work of art.
I love the many functions that enhance details of an image or change its structure completely, when manipulated in a program.

I have four photo editing programs I really enjoy.  I couldn't do all the things I've done with just one of them.  I use PhotoShop 7, Paint Shop Photo, Paint Shop Pro, and Picasa.

For this post I'm going to talk about just two images I have been working on lately.
The first one is this serene setting I shot last Fall of a rare sunny day here in the Pacific Northwest.
I was working at a clients home and just couldn't resist capturing this shot, which of course I took over ten frames of, but this one I used for this project.

  I decided it just didn't have the punch I was looking for, so I experimented with the PS artistic effects.  I chose the colored pencil effect and some sharpening for detail as well as cropping.

I left it like this for a couple of weeks.  Recently I decided I didn't like the gray background, after all, sky and water and hills are not gray.
So I took it into my Paint Shop program and added color here and there.

While some of you artists who know how to paint and draw may gasp with distaste at this, I feel it is all in the eye of the beholder.
I'm still not sure if I'm done with it, but it is fun to play.

Because I love black and white, of course I had to try this in a monotone as well.  I'm not sure which one I like better!

For my next trick I thought I would play with the trees.  (You'll remember these from a previous post).  Same location, same day.

While I actually like this image on its own, I just wanted to apply the same process and see where it would go.

I used the same colored pencil effect in PS, along with some contrast and saturation tweaks.  I love how it brings out the lines and detail in the tree trunks.

Next was to add some color to the sky and water.

Too fake?  Unrealistic?  Surrealistic?  The sky's the limit here (pun intended!).
I visualize this image large, printed on metal with a glossy finish.  I wonder what Picasso would say.

In all fairness to our image of the chairs, I of course wanted to try this in monotone as well.

What projects have you worked on that inspire you?

Information Overload

(imported from my former photo blog)
Ever arrive at a moment in your business as an artist when you hit a wall?  When you ask yourself career altering questions like "Why am I here?".  Reality staring you in the face with hard data like lack of sales, little return on the investment in social media exposure, leading you to seriously contemplate dropping the art all together?

I'm an information junkie, a compulsive researcher, so I'm always reading and listening to experts on marketing.

Yesterday I hit a wall.  My head was swimming in self doubt.  Is it my marketing?  Is it the economy?  Or worse, is it my art?

This morning it hit me - the aha moment - I have been here before.  This is what I call the saturation point.  I can assimilate no more information, nor can I effectively move forward.  I need to stop, take a deep breath and take a break.

Ultimately the best thing we can do at this juncture is to distract ourselves with a totally unrelated activity.  This is when I am most grateful for my day job, which is quite unlike my art business.

Go for a walk, a bike ride, a drive or shopping trip.  Just step back and let the dust settle.

Look at the depressing life of Van Gogh, or the many changes that Picasso went through.  All artists struggle in some way or another.  It may be the nature of creativity.

After these comparisons my optimism will return, theorizing that perhaps I am ahead of my time, or maybe I'm just not marketing to the right audience.

More importantly, just recognizing information overload when I see it, and halting all other fatalistic thinking, will set me aright.

I am grateful for the sign, and give in to the invitation to slow down, regroup, detach and take a new perspective. 

I welcome your thoughts or tips on this subject.

Art Marketing for Beginners

(imported from my former photo blog)
There are a million websites and books out there on marketing art, so I am going to focus on only one avenue for beginners from my own experience.

Producing your art on greeting cards

This is where I made the biggest impact with my photography about twenty years ago.  Actually, I wasn't even going to do it because it seemed the market was already saturated with amazing art cards.  It was the supportive words of a dear friend who said each of us are unique in what we have to offer, "your work is unlike anyone else".  That was the confidence boost I needed.

Where to start

After many hours of research, books, interviews, trial and error, I decided to do it myself.  Armed with only a Windows 98 operating system and an Epson photo printer, I began printing out all of my best photographic images on quality Epson paper.

I decided on the Strathmore acid free photo-mount card stock, with matching envelope.

I added personalization by hand signing each image and adding a label on the back of the card with my contact information.

The final touch was a clear cellophane sleeve to place them in protecting the image.

The result was a 4x6 photo on a 5x7 card that could easily be framed!  Wa-la!  Affordable art.

Cost breakdown

My cost per card was around $1.50 including the use of ink.  These could retail from $3.95 up.  Cards now retail for $4.99 and up.

Pay close attention to your costs.  Include everything from the ink (if you are doing it yourself) to the shipping charge on your supplies you order.  Take your "total" cost and then break it down per card, this is your real cost. 

Your calling card

Reproducing your art on greeting cards is a terrific way to market your art.  It's affordable to produce, and it's a great way to get yourself out there.

Retail gift shops, book stores, and galleries will often purchase your cards wholesale or consign them for a commission.

To further market your art using these cards, you can give them as gifts, donate them to causes, or leave them as samples with prospective clients.

Press printed products

Also known as print on demand (POD).

Nowadays it has become much more affordable to order your cards from professional printing companies online.  They are competitive with their prices and paper options, so it's worth it to shop around.  You can do a Google search for professional printing, or professional photo printing services.  I've also included some links below.

Your professional image

Some of you may cringe at the idea of putting your fine art on a greeting card - as if it were demeaning your talent.  Don't go there, look at it as a way to share your art with an even larger audience.  There are art lovers out there who cannot afford original works of art who would treasure it on a greeting card.  Personally I collect art on cards because I know so many artists and couldn't possibly find enough room on my walls for it all!

Original Art

If you are a painter or sculptor you'll need to first photograph your art.  Again, there is a lot of helpful information on the internet that can assist you in doing it yourself.  Maybe you could trade work with a photographer friend.  I once traded my photographic services with an artist friend and obtained some fabulous art.

Recommendations

I use Bay Photo for most of my printing needs.  A friend of mine uses Moo  .

I love the card stock and printing quality at Fine Art America , which is also a terrific hosting site for artists.

I have also heard good things about Nations Photo Lab .

Try out a few and see how you like their quality and service.  Most of them will send you paper samples.

There are also sites like Zazzle . CafePress , and ImageKind that you can join and put your images on any number of products!

Be your own agent

Gathering the courage to take your greeting cards to that first gift shop may seem daunting.  You have to start somewhere, so if it seems too scary to start with a cold call, perhaps start with a shop where you know the owner, or use a friends referral.

I guarantee you that once you take those first few steps you will gain confidence in obtaining new accounts, as well as finding joy in the process and making new friends!

It's business

Selling your art can become a business.  From greeting cards you can expand in to prints and products.

So keep good records!  Document your purchases of supplies down to the pencil (expenses).  Document your sales (income), and your mileage to and from anywhere that has anything to do with your art.  Note the dates for these transactions, and list in detail what transpired (description).  Excel is a great program for this.

If you keep good records it will save you headaches down the road.

I welcome your comments or questions on this topic.  Let me know what companies you enjoy working with, or additional tips.

Good luck in your adventure!

New Plans for the New Year!

(imported from my former photo blog)
I have emerged from my meditations and marketing courses and books with a new vision!  2012 will be the beginning of a new trend in marketing for me, perhaps in creativity as well. 

I am beginning 2012 with four new series of limited edition prints.  I know you photographers gasp when thinking of "limiting" anything we do, but alas, I feel the time has come.  When they sell out, I will just have to create something new! 

I am limiting these to 100 per image, any size.  I know, risky, but what fun!  Of course I may also be laughing at the end of the year when some of them don't sell, but that's the fun of it I think.  Everyone likes something different, and I am always intrigued at what my public likes.

So I will be getting these up sometime in January, available only here on the blog, so stay tuned.  I first need to get the Girasole page up, which is coming,  am just waiting for a few new prints to arrive so I can photograph them.

Meanwhile, you can still purchase greeting cards of the limited edition prints on my site at Fine Art America, www.jenigray.com .

The series are:  1) The New World.  2) Pop Series.  3) Looking Glass Series  4) 2012 Series.

Have a terrific holiday everyone and a successful new year!

Return of the Hand Written Note

(imported from my former photo blog)
The rebel in me wants to title this:  Ban E-Cards!  But I thought a more diplomatic approach might be best.  What I really want to say is "Please buy real holiday cards this year - preferably locally, and by artists".

I think this is one terrific way to stimulate the economy.  Look at how many people benefit (profit) from this gesture.  Paper suppliers, printing companies, the postal service, and most importantly the artists who created the images!

Just think, you buy the cards, use your own handwriting to communicate to family and friends, put a stamp on it and mail it yourself.  What a service!

We are all so automated these days;  texting, emailing, anything that will free up our time.  I get that, but what about the personalization of a real tangible card, hand written by you?  What does that say about you?  That you care enough to send the very best - or however that phrase goes.  You care enough to take that time for that person or business to say, hey, I'm thinking of you.

I also think this is a perfect holiday for real artist made cards.  Make them yourself!  Or buy from an artist you know.  I am using my own images this year, a great personal gift of my art, a 5x7 card that can be framed!  The gift of art with a personal message, not to mention a great marketing tool.

Art & Photography Part I

(imported from my former photo blog)
Are you an artist?  Are you a photographer?  Are you an artist-photographer?  I have been thinking about this for years.  I see some assumptions by art lovers that art is a painting or sculpture, for instance, and photography is a portrait or landscape. 
It's much deeper than that however.  With the dawning of digital photography came post production editing and manipulation.  Now the photographer is an artist.  How do we fit in?  What do we call ourselves? 

We have to be gentle with the masses, for they know not what we do.  Let them admire our works and contemplate how we did it, but don't be discouraged by their lack of knowledge.  There are still a lot of people who don't even know how to use the computer, let alone the functions of PhotoShop. 

Perhaps we can just revel in our mystery.  Although it might not be a bad idea to have some kind of explanation about how we came to the finished product.  Keep it brief though, as the attention span is limited.

I do think we need more labels, however, subcategories for our mediums.  I believe any kind of creativity qualifies one as an artist - "one who creates art" as Webster's New Dictionary defines it.  So perhaps we can find our own labels within the generalities.

An example of this is my beloved "Girasole" image.  This has been admired and purchased as cards, prints and on metal.

This image is first a photograph, later digitally manipulated with color and layers. 
Perhaps it is the happiness of a sunflower that attracts people, or the use of color.  All I know is that it makes people feel good.  Which is why I create anything in the first place, because it makes me feel good.

It's a fantastic time to be an artist, we are everywhere, recording and creating and sharing our vision with the world.  The internet has allowed us to share our work with the entire planet!  Our success is unlimited!

So am I an artist?  Or photographer?  I prefer artist-photographer.

Zen Yard Art

Here's a quick little project to add dimension to your hang out.
Simply drill holes in a choice piece of driftwood the size of your rebar.  Place two pieces of rebar in the ground securely (measure the correct distance the rebar should be from one another) then just attach the driftwood.

This new piece of yard art is approximately 5 feet long and about two feet high.