This semester at the University I'm taking a course called "figure structure." Even after a week of classes, I'm already feeling the benefit of practicing drawing what I see, with attention to the details, proportions, and other aspects of rendering a good likeness. Already I'm feeling more confident. As I sketched people in the coffee shop this morning, I found myself making fewer errors in proportion and perspective.

This doesn't necessarily mean that you'll see a lot more realistically detailed paintings on this site, though I don't rule out that possibility. At this point I'm thinking that in my "free time," when I'm painting what I want to paint, I'll see what happens when the practice of drawing meets the wild improvisational style I most love. Ultimately, I have no doubt, all this drawing practice will make me a better painter.

I'm posting a sketch from my figure class on today's blog.

Having been an entrepreneur for the past 15 years, I've done virtually all my marketing through networking. For a long time it was the in-person kind of networking you do when you join associations, chambers of commerce, and attend monthly breakfasts and luncheons. Now, with the Internet and sites such as Facebook and Linked In, you don't have to eat so many fattening, expensive breakfasts and lunches.

When I planned the networking/marketing activities for this particular exhibit, I thought about how to reach the following types of connections: church friends, other women business owners, my weekly mastermind group, collectors of my work, those people I do business with (banker, financial advisor, massage therapist), local art associations, family and personal friends, and all my online buddies, many of whom overlap the previous categories.

The gallery provides a mailing list, postcards, and postage, as well as an email list. In addition, I sent the postcard and a brief newsletter to all my collectors as well as a few other gallery owners I know personally. I shamelessly handed out postcards to many of my church friends and other friends I encountered over the past few weeks, distributed some to galleries and art supply stores around town, and sent an email version to my email list. The gallery posted images of my work on their Facebook page, and I kept my Facebook friends apprised of my preparations for this very special occasion in my life as an artist.

Though not strictly under the "networking" category, my marketing efforts also included a news release to local newspapers, online calendars, and our statewide arts ezine (www.15bytes.com). I was thrilled to get a listing with photo in The Salt Lake Tribune. Though this obviously went to many outside my networks, those in my networks responded most favorably to the media attention, with notes, phone calls, and attendance at the event.

Unexpected and welcome help came from my musician at the opening event. After we connected via Facebook, he sent an invitation to his 400+ Facebook friends, many of whom came to see his group perform. 

After all this networking, the crowd that showed up included a wonderful mix of all my groups. In between talking with my guests, I managed to post a couple of updates on my Facebook page, hoping to entice a few last minute visitors.

Most gratifying, I sold three paintings: one to friends of my son; one to my financial advisor; and the third to a fellow artist. In addition, I received a commission request from a friend in another state and promises from many who could not attend the reception to visit the gallery during the run of the show.

So, have you made a list of your networks as you've read this? Are there ways to expand your networks? Are there new ways to reach them to announce special openings or to just keep them informed new works?

Making a list - networks and connection strategies - can become the foundation of an ongoing marketing strategy for your art business.

You see, at my little co-op gallery, the featured artist hosts his/her own reception. It's like throwing a party for several hundred of your closest friends. Other artists would probably buy ready-prepared refreshments, but I'm fortunate to have a son who is a fabulous chef and has a great sense of style. So while he's around, why not use his talents to make this evening special for my guests?

The menu includes fresh gazpacho, parmesan & thyme crackers (think savory shortbread), turtle brownies, and lemon and almond pound cakes. Unfortunately, we can't serve wine at this venue, so guests will have ice water with lemon slices. 

Tonight's music will be by local musician John Louvier and Friends. John has been helping me "buzz" about the event on Facebook. Together we've reached more than 600 "friends." I can only hope some of them have an appetite for art as well as gazpacho. Will give a full report tomorrow.

Instead of worrying about whether or not I'll remember my lines, I worry about whether I've priced the art right (that illusive balance between value and "cheap"). I'm obsessed with Friday night's refreshments and how to arrange them without creating bottlenecks in the gallery. Thankfully, I have a son who is a fabulous chef who will do most of the food prep.

I've sent postcards to a mail list; a digital postcard to my email list; and a special newsletter to collectors and subscribers. The news release was sent and resulted in a nice mention in today's Salt Lake Tribune. But, I worry, it's the tail end of summer, many people will still be on vacation, and I'll be competing with the Norah Jones concert that night. 

OK, OK, worrying helps nothing. Take a deep breath. Make a little list of any last-minute tasks and put them on the week's calendar. Take another deep breath. My main job now is to show up Friday with confidence and composure so that I can be interesting, even entertaining, and sell some art!

I had done some colorful underpaintings (acrylic on Yupo) before leaving on the trip, and I took these, along with photos and sketches, to complete in the studio. I worked with acrylic, marker, and magazine collage on top of the underpaintings. Two of the three paintings are figurative, using sketches I had done earlier in the summer. The third painting is a landscape using a photo I took at a friend's farm in Missouri.

Other than the studio work, I had little time for art since we were always on the go - driving and sightseeing. However, I did sketch my cute granddogs and took pictures of them for future paintings. 

The figurative paintings count toward my "warm-up" exercise leading up to a year-long creative contract with myself to thoroughly explore figure painting and complete 52 pieces in the coming year. The warm-up will end Sept. 4, and the contract will begin.  

Note to self: Plan more downtime for creative activities into future trips!

Choices, choices....Do I take watercolors or acrylics? A small sketchbook or larger paper? Pencils or markers? Or should I just forget all that and take my digital camera? That might be my choice if I were going to be a tourist, but I'll be spending two days with an artist friend and I look forward to some art making.

Since I love to layer paint, I'm thinking of taking some "underpaintings" from the studio, on which I can layer images/ideas encountered on the trip. It might be landscapes, figures, or still life. Whatever the subject happens to be, I'll have an exciting abstract surface on which to work. This strategy helps me limit my load; I can take a selection of acrylics (not my entire supply), a few brushes, pens, and a sketchbook. 

Now to create the underpaintings. The image with this entry was built on an underpainting.

The first stimulus was the challenge to paint something inspired by a poem for the Utah Watercolor Society's fall exhibition. That reminded me of a poem I wrote about seven years ago, about looking for that creative child who had been "lost" or "abandoned" as my life became overwhelmed with responsibilities to work, earn, care for others, etc. 

Then, my homework assignment for a figure painting class called for a self-portrait incorporating collage and mixed media. Why not practice some compositions in preparation for the UWS painting, I thought. That homework process produced two paintings and the beginnings of a series about the creative child (a.k.a. "muse").

One of the best discoveries in this thought process was the realization that my muse speaks to me in a child-like process of playing with paint. I can be very serious and disciplined about planning a painting, but it's often not my best work. The key to a good painting, for me at least, is to collaborate with that playful child to maintain the element of spontaneity in the finished work.

Today's image shows the frustrated artist unaware of the muse who is there all along.

This is a timely concern since I'm preparing for an exhibition next month and I have a lot of new work to be framed. I'm fortunate in several ways: I live in a mid-sized city (Salt Lake City) with a lot of framing resources at hand. I have a favorite framer (Bullock Frames) that does a great job and gives me a discount as a member of the Utah Watercolor Society.  And my taste in frames runs toward the simple, which, in my opinion, puts the focus where it belongs – on the art. 

But even "simple" can be very classy and professional.  And it can help buyers envision a piece of art in their home. Since I work mostly in mixed water media, most of my work is matted as well as framed. I almost always avoid colored mats because they might not match the buyer's decor. The very rare exceptions were paintings that were moody and seemed to beg for a darker, though still neutral, mat. 

Someday I may invest in the tools to make my own frames, but, until then, I'll go with the pros and learn all I can about framing and the preferences of my customers. 

Here's one of the new pieces for next month's exhibit.

Maybe it was just the return to oil paint, which behaves differently than the loose, watery acrylics I'd been using. Or maybe it was that I was working from a sketch and had a clear concept of the finished piece. In any case, my usual improvisational process was not happening.

So today in figure class, I challenged myself out of my comfort zone. Instead of spending three hours on one painting, I set the timer on my phone to chime after 30 minutes. Though the model maintained the same pose, I changed positions to get three different perspectives. Moving myself and supplies around took a bit of time, but I managed to do three paintings (well, two and a half, because I don't feel the last one was anywhere near completed). 

Comparing today's work with the weekend painting (click here to see it), the difference in style and expression is like night and day. Hmmmm.... Does this mean oil isn't my medium? Does it mean I shouldn't be a careful planner when it comes to painting? Or is there some middle ground where I can combine planning with some improvisational spontaneity? Guess I'll have to keep painting to find out!

Here's my classroom work-in-progress.

So in recent weeks, as I've been attending classes and figure drawing sessions, I've been asking myself how I can make stories out of these anonymous models. I've been looking at examples from contemporary and past artists. I don't yet have the answer I'm looking for, but I feel like I'm closer to identifying what I like and dislike.

If you have favorite figurative artists, please share names and links to their work. Meanwhile, here's a recent class assignment rendered in acrylic and collage.