Short blog today....

Artistic success is a ladder with no top rung.

Our art may be stunning, beautiful, meaningful... but there is always room for improvement.  We don't have to be perfect or get obsessive about our work before we put it out there for sale or view.  However, the best artists never give up on that next rung to mastery. It is always before them.

Put away complacency -- as Harley Brown says, "The harder I work, the luckier I get". Getting to the professional level as an artist takes more than marketing savvy.  The very key to the value of your art... is the quality of your work. Collectors are well educated today and often determine and define their tastes by the artwork they select. They do not rely on "experts" to tell them what they like or what to buy.

It takes years to perfect artistic craft. If it were easy, everyone would be able to do it and it would have no worth. But believe you can do it! Just don't fool yourself into thinking anything you throw together without thought, planning and skill will sell.  Be prepared for the long, arduous road - yet joyful and fulfilling path to mastery of  your artistic pursuits. And don't forget to focus on one goal at a time.

Sincerely,
Lori

Happy New Year!

Just a short note to my readers today... I've updated my web site.  I've posted my work by subject, and as soon as I can get to it, I'll be photographing and posting my newest works. Right now, I have only a hand full of paintings for sale, but intended to add many more floral still lifes in the coming months.

For a time, I'll be focusing on painting still life rather than landscape.  My hope is to create an amazing new body of work for submission to just one or two galleries.  I plan to frame with handmade custom gold leaf and clay wood frames.Cliff and Akira Stuckey (Stoddard, NH) are my frame-makers. They're kinda new at it, but dedicated and educated. I expect that their prices will be reasonable.  I'll employ the best linen canvas and framing I can afford, and thereby increase the value of my work. It goes without saying that the artwork itself must be of the highest quality.

In the meantime, I'm continuing to write for Fine Art Views and Watercolor Magazine. Writing seems as enjoyable as painting, so I plan to divide my time between the two. Later this year, I intend to offer one, maybe  two ebooks for sale from my web site.  The subject matter will cater to artists. These books will be inexpensive and downloadible, and packed with highly useful information about marketing and productivity for creative professionals.

So please stay tuned.  I'll send out an email update when I post my newest artworks - probably in two months. I am planning on spending some time out in Tucson this winter, but will continue to work while away.
 
Most sincerely,
Lori
www.woodwardsimons.com